


A Force of Wills

by TheHuntress25



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Hogwarts, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-11 06:32:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 67,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7033699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHuntress25/pseuds/TheHuntress25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Astoria Greengrass comes from a family of very secretive and very dangerous people and those secrets torment and bind her to a life she has never wanted. When the fate of her family is threatened, she must suddenly put aside her own hatred by trusting a pureblood while becoming prey for another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Half and Half

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the first story that I've ever posted on this site and I hope that you enjoy it! Please feel free to leave a review or send me your thoughts.

If there was a pit of hell that would welcome Astoria Greengrass into it with open arms then she would gladly leap into it. The moment would spare her the agony of being near the horrid people that were going to be tainting her night later on but when no such hole appeared or no unearthly creature offered her the salvation she craved, her heart sank.

It seemed as though she would have to be spending her evening around people that she despised, people she _loathed_. To make matters worse, she would have to do it while wearing a tight dress that she couldn’t breathe in and feeling her toes pinching against her heels.

Why her parents insisted on treating her so cruelly would never be fully understandable to her. Astoria heaved a miserable sigh as she tried not to think of some way to stay home, knowing that there was no point in even thinking of an escape, even if the very idea of it was highly tempting.

If she managed to find the courage and pitch herself out the window, her parents would only want the dress back and hope that her blood hadn’t stained the satin material too badly. These thoughts, while over dramatic and cruel couldn’t change the fact that she was currently trying to loosen the iron comb from stabbing her scalp, pain shooting all the way down to her stinging toes.

The comb had once been her mother's but it was making her unbearably thick brown hair even more insufferable. Dread settled onto her shoulders as she realized that she would probably have to suffer for a while longer, she was currently waiting on her father so that he could inspect her two older sibling's, Emily and Scorpious.

Even though the night would prove to be nothing but torture, their father would be very keen to make sure that they were flawless, perfect and bitterly happy. There was no outward reason for her _not_ to be happy, Astoria thought with a slight frown as she tried not to think of other, darker things hanging over her head.

The Greengrass family lived in a perfectly nice little home that was separated from any Muggle things and she had a nice garden out back that always bloomed healthy pink roses and gorgeous white ones. Her parents never denied her much, so long as it was in their meager budget and she'd been allowed to buy a few books over the years, a pair of pretty leather gloves here and there.

Astoria knew that her feeling of unease wouldn't fade anytime soon as she tried to inhale slowly, exhale gently. For as long as she could remember, she and her siblings had gotten along very well, though Scorpious had an attitude that suggested that if he could murder himself on the spot, he would do it without hesitation.

Emily liked this sort of thing, parties and dances and zoos, because that was what this was and Astoria groaned inwardly while trying to salvage the remains of her throbbing scalp. “Would you stop fidgeting?” her sister asked sharply.

“I can’t help it, this thing is stabbing me.” Astoria complained and she could barely breathe for the tightness of her emerald satin gown. It was so deeply green that it in the certain light it was black and she though that it was pretty. But if only her mother hadn’t insisted on her corset being so unbearably _tight_ , she seemed to think that if she passed out over supper that she would land a mate.

Oh, sorry, this wasn’t a zoo. This was a farm and she was going to be passed around like a fresh plump cow to leering old men and their nasty sons until one of them took pity on her and married her.

When she could return to Hogwarts and lock herself in her dorm, her own private dorm in the far east of the school, would be a reprieve from this torture. She would happily drown herself once she got there but the fact that she had a private dorm wasn’t nearly as luxurious as it sounded.

Astoria hated it very much but it was still necessary for her safety because no one could find out her family’s secrets. Emily took her long pale fingers to her hair and loosened the comb for her but as she did so, a few tendrils of her hair escaped, creating a wispy cloud around her pale face. “There. Now _that_ is lovely, simply lovely,” she said happily.

The only thing lovely about her right now was her eyes, the only things that weren’t pinched or prodded or raw from ceaseless rubbing. But even they were starting to ache, her eyelashes had been curled and she’d been stabbed in the eye with coal to make the violet tint in them stand out even more, “I’m not lovely.” Astoria mumbled.

“You sure aren’t,” Scorpious suddenly said as he lounged against the wall, his blonde head bowed against his chest. He looked dashing in a set of dark robes, the color making him appear like a heroic prince from a fairy tale, “take it from me, Stori. Being ugly will spare you.”

Emily glanced at Scorpius and gave him an annoyed frown, her own perfect blonde brows shooting up. The cherry red gown she wore was snugly fit around her slender body and Astoria thought that she made a beautiful figure, “You’re not ugly by any means, Scorpius!” she said sternly. “It’s that ugly _attitude_ of yours that’s keeping you from getting married!”

“Married,” Scorpius said with a sneer, his distaste enough to make the hairs on the back of Astoria's neck stand up. He quirked an insolent brow at their sister's outraged expression, his lips tilting up in a mocking smirk, “Merlin, I’ll take a knife to my vein before I ever even consider doing something like that with one of those stupid pureblood girls.”

Just then, their parents walked into the living room where they had been huddled, the house reeking of secrets and comfort. Scorpious straightened up from the wall and smoothed out his black robes and probably died just as much as Astoria did with the look their father sent them, “You all look fantastic,” Maximus Greengrass said happily while smoothing a hand over his own gleaming black hair.

Astoria watched as her mother placed her hand on his arm and smiled up at him in that way that could reduce any man to butter. When she tried to do it, she appeared constipated, “Wipe that horrible look from your face this _instant_ , Astoria!” the woman snapped, her irritation more than clear.

“But Mum, we’re going over that insufferable prat’s mansion and my dress is too tight and I have the most unbearable itch between my—” Astoria trailed off as Scorpius roared with laughter. Emily just gave her a revolted stare. “I’ll try for your sake though, if it’ll please you.”

Dark green eyes narrowed dangerously but her mother noticed a stray lock of blonde hair and tucked it behind her ear. A diamond on her earlobe glittered and made Astoria’s eyes hurt when it hit the lantern light. “That’ll do, Astoria.” She said tightly, giving a sort of exasperated sigh. “Are we all ready then?”

“Yes, I believe so.” Her father replied calmly as he looked at his wristwatch, his blue eyes narrowed as if he thought the mechanism had had a lot of nerve to distract him. He had been busy earlier with last minute business, which had caused them to be a tad late to the party, “we’ll just make it before they start getting seated for dinner and the children can relax and chat,” he said and she rolled her eyes a bit. Emily glared at her before they all clasped hands and Disapparated.

They would have traveled by Floo but Astoria’s mother hadn’t wanted their dresses to get dirty. Their house-elf would be arriving a second or so later with their coats, and hopefully a bottle of poison so Astoria could contemplate the afterlife, it had been a bit chilly for an August night but she had been planning on hiding underneath her coat and vanishing into a hallway.

When their parents had given them the horrid news that they would be attending this blasted party last night at dinner, she’d nearly screamed with horror. After the shock had worn down, Astoria had feverishly planned on making herself comfortable in the closet and playing Exploding Snap with Scorpious, more than eager for the party to go on without them.

But apparently that wasn’t going to happen tonight. Instead, they came to a sickening stop inside the cavernous foyer of Malfoy Manor and she felt her soul escaping her body as Lucius Malfoy and his pretty blonde wife crept up from around a corner, chatting in that phony way of theirs.

Astoria couldn't feel anything but disgust as she released her sister's hand, her parents shooting her a warning look that she ignored. Scorpius twitched with some biting comment but it failed immediately on his lips since there were a lot of people around, though his scowl remained, “You can hardly breathe from all the evil in here,” he muttered to her after dropping their mother's delicate hand.

“Shouldn't some of these people be holding up bridges?” Astoria muttered back.

Scorpious snickered and their parents gave them both warning looks before he could reply, his shoulder's shaking. Emily had ignored them and was too busy smiling and giggling, she was already catching attention from a group of pureblood boys that were loitering in a corner together, looking dark and sickly.

Astoria mentally pitched herself from the highest window, imagining what her body would look like right when their father introduced them all. “…and I believe my youngest daughter goes to school with your son Draco, Lucius.” He was saying merrily, though only she recognized the calculating warmth in it.

Her mother’s eyes boring into her skull and Astoria forced herself to smile warmly, or as warmly as she could up at Lucius Malfoy. The man gave a polite smile and regarded her from a pair of cool grey eyes before she extended her hand, each nail was painted and filed and her fingers adorned with simple rings.

Revulsion roiled in Astoria's stomach and she squirmed inwardly as he took it and pressed his lips to her knuckles. She had a feeling that he might be enjoying it far more than she did, as he was a gentleman with the rags of a man on his body, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Greengrass.” Mr. Malfoy murmured.

“Thank you,” Astoria whispered and she hoped that the flush to her cheeks wasn’t making her look as ill as she felt. Scorpious and Emily gave polite smiles as they were introduced and Mr. Malfoy kissed the knuckles of her mother's hand until she blushed a little, though it was obvious that her upper lip was trying not to curl.

Mrs. Malfoy smiled thinly at Astoria once the introductions were over and she knew why she was gathering that nasty look from her. Out of a household of purebloods, Astoria was the only half-blood in the entire home, “Ms. Greengrass, my son Draco has never mentioned you. Do you not get on well enough at school?”

To say that they didn’t get along well in school would be saying that Scorpius was enjoying himself and Astoria tried not to frown. Draco Malfoy was nothing but a cruel, self-indulgent little bully but she knew that she could never tell his mother something like that and smiled just as thinly,“I’m afraid that we have different views while we’re at school.”

“Is that so?” Mrs. Malfoy asked coolly, raising a brow.

Astoria felt her annoyance spike but was aware of her parents and gave a demure little smile that she hoped would suffice. Hogwarts was already unbearable but her son made it so much harder than it needed to be but she pushed that truth aside, “He enjoys his Quidditch and I find myself in the library more often than I’d like.”

This apparently seemed to soothe Mrs. Malfoy but her eyes darted over her figure a bit and then her face as if she found her repulsive. Astoria felt her eyes narrowing with dislike for the woman and the celebration that they were having, the Dark Lord having resided right under this very roof on more than one occasion as he took his War to the next level.

Although it would have been foolish to say so out loud, she abhorred it deeply, as did her brother but Emily’s feelings were always muted. Whatever her feelings on the War were had been shut down deeply as she tried to gather a good match in a marriage and Astoria had never disliked her more for it.

The name Greengrass had been synonymous with wealth and power, almost as much power as the Malfoy’s and the Blacks back in the day but over time, greed and poor management had left them with a poor fortune. More of a river than the vast ocean it used to be and her family longed to worm its way back into the folds of pureblood society but Astoria herself had never found it in herself to want it or need it.

Being half blood and therefore unable to really thrive on the advantages of a pureblood match, she had given up any pretense of trying. The secrets and lies of her family ran very deep and she found being around these pompous fools very stifling and she tried not to flip the woman off under her pretty little nose, “The children are in Draco’s personal lounge if you’d like to get off your feet before supper.” Mrs. Malfoy said kindly, or as kindly as she could.

Astoria raised her upper lip in a grimace of a smile but Scorpius held out his arm for her as Emily floated away to some of her pureblood friends that she couldn’t stand. Their parents shot them one last warning look before they turned their attention back to the Malfoy's, their smiles as false as fog, “I’ll escort you.” Her brother whispered, sensing her horror.

They had been here on more than one occasion and Astoria had been in Malfoy's personal lounge more than once, each time more unbearable than the last. She had always found herself longing to sink into the floor or take the teapot and pour it over her head to bring some life into her numb scalp, “Merlin, thank you. I can’t _stand_ that woman, she’s foul.” Astoria murmured as they walked away.

“Indeed she is, but look at the extravagance!” Scorpius said, dripping disdain and foolishness and Astoria laughed a little. The Manor was very large with three levels of floors and filled to the brim with opulence, grace and many things that she would never be able to afford.

Every inch of the slick marble floors sounded like bones as they walked down a corridor, portraits of past family members angling their heads at them. The party was filled with many people and the chatter was infectiously nasty and Astoria saw silly women twittering their fans and men puffing out their chests.

It reminded her of those historical romances that she secretly read from Muggle books and wondered why the Wizarding world tended to move so slowly. It was as if she were suddenly transported to the eighteenth century and at someone else’s house, it would have been very entertaining.

But Astoria found it rather dull as they walked, her ribs feeling as if they were about to be snapped in two from her corset. If she didn’t get this horrible dress off of her soon, she would fall face forward into her bowl of pea soup, though she doubted if she would drown, “Will you stay with me and spare me the horror of being alone with Malfoy and his nasty little friends? His ego can grow so big that we’d suffocate.” Astoria said and her older brother laughed.

“I hear that men like that are often compensating for something they lack,” Scorpious replied wisely and seeing her confusion, he gave her an affectionate look. “Not for your tender ears yet, Stori but you won't have to worry about someone like Malfoy, his ego is all he really has.”

Astoria thought that that was more than true but she couldn't help but think that there was a dark streak in Malfoy. Over the years she had noticed how fixated he could become, how certain he was to have whatever he wanted and the thought chilled her until she found herself changing the topic, “Are you staying here?” Scorpious's face became mockingly innocent. “Or are you going to see your girlfriend?”

Scorpius had a Muggle girlfriend that lived in the city and showed him the wonders of movies and all of those other silly things that Astoria found herself liking. On those rare moments when they had been able to sneak out of the house to visit, she had always been left feeling wondrous and only a bit envious, “I will so long as you don’t tell Mother and Father,” he said, adopting Malfoy’s arrogant tone perfectly and she giggled.

The giggle faltered as they came to the end of the hallway and heard laughter coming from a tall, heavy door. There was a bright yellow light spilling out from the crack in the frame, like the entrance to Hell with laughter filtering from it and Astoria felt her upper lip rising as she imagined the imps that were loitering on the inside. “Well at least _you’ll_ be having a fun time.” She grumbled.

Scorpius grinned arrogantly. “I’ll take you with us to the movies and then to a theme park some other time but you know how Mum and Dad are gunning for you and Emily to make a good match.” They wanted him to make a good match as well with pretty pureblood girls but he had made his attempt at that very well- known.

Astoria inhaled a bit, which was hard to do in the condition that her ribs were in as her brother pushed the door open to find a large, elegantly wrapped room. It was packed with Malfoy and his friends, eight of them in all and dressed to perfection in dress robes and expensive gowns. Most of the people here she hated from school.

They were chatting and talking to one another, pompously seated in leather armchairs or other furniture in the room. Parkinson was lying on a chaise with her legs drawn up and a smile on her pug-like face and Astoria groaned, perhaps too loudly because Malfoy angled his head at them.

He had had his back to them as he’d talked to Crabbe and Goyle, two of the biggest, nastiest Death Eater children around and that Zabini boy. Scorpious sneered around at Theodore Nott as he sat lazily in an armchair, his hands gripping a stem of wine as he eyed some other girl that Astoria didn’t know, taking in her short brown hair and the brilliant green eyes.

There was another girl with very red hair and a voluptuous figure eyeing Zabini with interest and she frowned with distaste. Astoria didn’t know her name but boys had leered that she was a very experienced and pleasing pastime and she shuddered a bit as she took in her slinky purple gown and the length of leg that she was showing off.

Astoria was jerked away from the sight as Malfoy sneered. “Well, well. I was wondering what that smell was.” His voice wasn't necessarily deep but it had a cultured air to it that always reminded her of a very conceited prince, the words going down the center of her spine like mice.

“Might be your natural scent Malfoy.” Scorpius replied kindly and Astoria giggled behind her hand and saw Malfoy’s eyes glance at her, filled with hatred. They had nothing but dislike between them and it was obvious that he hadn't forgotten over the summer, “touch one hair on her head and I’ll flay you alive, every last one of you and I’d enjoy wiping that smug grin off your face for a change.”

There was a thick silence because while he smiled, his blue eyes were as hard as granite and Astoria felt quite safe. Eventually though, Malfoy angled his head in a way that suggested that she would be in one piece physically when he returned and Scorpious smiled down at her, raised her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“You know what to do if you need me.” Scorpius whispered and she nodded.

Astoria allowed her fingers to slide from his as he sauntered away and she watched his gleaming blonde hair shining in the light from the fireplace. The brick foundation was so large that it seemed to stretch to the ceiling, causing her to think that it must have gotten chillier outside for it to be lit.

She jumped just a little as the door clicked closed, knowing that it wouldn't be right to cry and call Scorpious back. Her brother’s mind was on the girl that he had fallen in love with and she felt a stab of envy, it had to be more than lovely to find solace in someone that obviously made every single day brighter.

An ugly silence issued and her scalp was burning, the corset taking what little oxygen she had away. “Sit down then, Half and Half.” Malfoy sneered at her when she simply stood on the elegant Persian carpet and mentally hung herself, some childish part of her wanting to run after her older brother and cling to his robes.

“I wish that you would stop calling me that, Malfoy. It makes your inner evil shine each time,” Astoria murmured delicately, walking further into the room. It had an unnerving sense of debauchery and sensuality hanging around it, cleverly packaged and adorned with expensive objects to cover up the fact that Malfoy probably did very inappropriate things here.

If the rumors were true and Emily had heard quite a few of them, he had had quite a few experiences on that chaise that Parkinson was on. And on the windowsill to that ridiculously large window or the armchair that Nott was sitting in, the very thought making her shudder with revulsion.

Astoria knew that every single wall had his stain on them somehow and had even caught him hiking some girl up against one the last time she’d been here. It had been quite embarrassing. She’d thought that she’d been escaping the horror of his parents and the leering old men and had sought this horrible room out as sanctuary but she had turned round and saw a lot more of him than she had wanted to. Ever since then she had wanted to keep her distance.

Not only had it been mortifying to see but Malfoy had kept his dirty little eyes on her even more than he did already at school. It had never quite made sense to her on why he seemed to find her so intriguing but he'd never ceased trying to find out more about her, thinking that various things about her were very bizarre.

Although it was true, Astoria couldn't have him sneaking around her family's secrets and she'd tried her best to get him to leave her alone. But Malfoy was unnervingly resilient and determined and arrogantly thought that his charm, wealth and appearance was enough to sway her into relaxing her guard and somehow spilling the truth.

Passion was his main weapon however and he seemed to think that that would be able to get her to talk about her secrets. Astoria was scared of that sort of thing and she would never find herself wrapped up in the arms of Malfoy so long as she was living and breathing, no matter how romantic she could be.

The very thought of being romantically involved with Malfoy made her want to gag, a slug possessed more charm. A faint grin spread over her lips as she thought of the man that she would like to marry... the type of man that she wanted was so very different, he would most likely be Muggle-born.

Handsome with dark hair to match hers and a nice smile that could light up an entire room until it was bathed in happiness. Astoria sighed dreamily, imagining that this imaginary husband would buy her books and take her on long trips over every scrap of the country until she was spoiled rotten.

At night, he would give her amazing, gentle kisses that made her head swim even though she really had no idea what such a kiss could be like. There had only been a few pecks over the years but Astoria imagined that a real kiss from someone that loved her would lead to things that she really didn't understand...tender caresses that made her float on a cloud, her heart filled with peace.

But _Malfoy_ made her want to strangle herself. His touch was slimy and his mouth had been on far too many things for her liking, “Are you going to sit down or not?” Malfoy jeered and she glared at him. “My God, you’re gaping and fawning like you’ve never been in a room this large before.”

“I was merely considering strangling myself Malfoy and now you’ve broken my concentration. You should be ashamed of yourself,” Astoria snapped and watched as the others raked her dress, her hair, her face and her shape, as if she were a prime piece of steak.

Parkinson sneered and Astoria studied her for a moment, knowing that she was very rich, supposedly an only child of very cruel parents and mean. Sadly, she seemed to think that her wealth gained her a bit of an upper hand on lowly mortals such as herself, “Half and Half,” she said jeeringly.

“Ms. Pug, as charming as ever,” Astoria snarled back and that effectively put the girl in her place, being known far and wide as no beauty. The red-haired girl pursed her lips meanly as she settled herself on a little chair near Blaise Zabini, her skin prickling oddly at being so close to someone that she had rarely heard even speak.

Zabini was tall and had beautiful brown skin that glowed in the firelight, his features handsome but a tad smug. Astoria ignored him as she felt his dark eyes flicker to her with curiosity, as if he had felt that same sensation of his skin prickling before she began wondering how it would feel if she slit her wrists.

“I’m surprised that your family was invited.” Nott said smoothly as he angled his dark blonde head at her. Astoria had always found his light brown eyes to be slightly unnerving, as if they were empty of a soul, “I thought they were only inviting wealthy families, Draco.”

That stung but she knew that his own family would soon be suffering the after effects of debt. It would happen as soon as his mother learned that his father was busy gambling their fortune away but Astoria knew this because her father had told them about it over dinner, sounding quite pitying about their fate.

The fact that he had somehow obtained this information hadn't been a surprise for her but she merely pursed her lips now, her head hurting painfully. “I suppose Father has to take a bit of pity where he can.” Malfoy said calmly while running his eyes unnervingly down the length of her throat.

Zabini grunted something and relaxed in the armchair that he was sitting in, his long fingers stroking the material of the arm. Astoria had never spoken to him or had heard him talk much but he changed the topic almost as if she weren’t there at all, “Before we were interrupted, we were having a conversation, weren’t we?” he asked and she had a feeling that he had found the previous talk rather dull. “Go on, Draco about the Dark Lord,”

Astoria felt revulsion bubbling inside of her and saw Malfoy take his eyes away from her throat before saying pompously. “He’s settled quite nicely in with us, as you know, Blaise.” He said pointedly and Zabini rolled his eyes, “Father says that we have to keep a lot of our meetings a secret because we’d never know who’s really a spy and who’s really loyal.”

Parkinson simpered a bit before trying to capture Malfoy's attention, her eyes holding all the love in the world. Astoria had never understood her interest in him and rolled her eyes, heaved a sigh that made Zabini’s finger cease their stroking of the arm of his chair, a smirk coming across his mouth. “But you have to tell us something Draco. We’re all friends here!” Parkinson said and then her eyes flickered to Astoria, “at least, _some_ of us are.”

“I’m envious of your outstanding friendship, my apparent jealousy is written all over my face.” Astoria said calmly while looking at her nails and hoping that the nail polish wouldn’t be too much of a burden to have magically removed later. “Go on, Malfoy, woo me.”

For some reason, the words caused a flush to spread to his cheeks and Nott thumped his hands on his legs and said wearily. “I’ve had enough with business for one night, Draco if you don't mind.” His eyes were on the pureblood girl with the brown hair and green eyes as he said loudly, “Let’s play a game!”

Astoria wondered what poison tasted like.

Malfoy looked put out that the attention had been taken from him but a cunning smile formed over his face and he rubbed idly at his chin before suggesting. “Let’s play hide-and-go-seek.” Astoria snorted with a laugh that she hastily covered up when Zabini glanced at her, his dark eyes twinkling just a little.

Apparently though, the game was one that they had played quite often and Parkinson clapped happily to herself and sat upright on the chaise. The low cut of her gown was displaying far too much cleavage in her opinion, it was a nasty looking pink that reminded her of dead, rotten flesh.

The thought made her think of maggots just as her head began to pound, distracting her and Astoria grappled with the comb in her hair and tried to nudge it looser. She succeeded after a few deft tugs and her hair came almost undone, heavy locks falling onto her sweaty neck, “Draco, are you all right?” Parkinson suddenly asked and Astoria looked up to see that his eyes had become dark and heavy. The sight of them on her hair made her recoil with terror, “perhaps you’re very eager for the game.”

Malfoy snapped out of his thoughts and smiled a bit and Astoria had a feeling that that was what demons smirked like. “I am, actually. We can play after supper is over and the adults are busy but try not to give us away, Pansy.” He warned playfully and Astoria raised her upper lip.

“It wasn’t my fault last time!” Parkinson said fiercely and Nott laughed. “I was too excited you’d catch me and I had no idea that my parents were listening in when I’d made that unladylike comment.”

Astoria didn’t want to know what the comment had been. It made Crabbe and Goyle grunt with laughter and she knew that it couldn’t be anything good but Zabini didn’t look too interested in playing either as he said, “I’m out this time, Draco. I’d rather hear about it afterward.”

“Scared, Blaise?” Malfoy asked with a superior sneer.

“Scared of _what_?” Zabini asked threateningly.

Malfoy angled his head at Astoria. “Of getting a match that you don’t want? We can’t have our dirty little intruder tainting that family tree,” he said in a whisper and Astoria glared at him and watched as his eyes flicked to her mouth before he turned away. “I’ve never known you to pass up an opportunity.”

“I’ll play then.” Zabini said tightly while the red head in the room moved closer to the group, her hips swaying sensually. Astoria was reminded of a siren, “you as well, Samantha? I wasn't sure if this was your idea of entertainment.” He said to her with enough sarcasm to flood a small valley.

The red-headed girl gave him a very provocative look that earned nothing but a blank stare in return, her pouty lips forming a warm smile. “I'm a Travers, Blaise. We can't just sit around while everyone else has the fun,” she murmured with a sweetly crafted laugh, her eyes running over him as if she wanted nothing more than to lick him.

_Travers_ …Astoria thought with disgust. That was a name that she had heard quite often from her fathers’ contacts, the siren's father was a known Death Eater and had had a nasty habit of murdering his wives shortly after they were married to get his claws on their money.

Samantha Travers had that same calculating evil in her and she smiled prettily, her eyes twinkling like paste jewels. “Your father won't be pleased when he finds out what you're getting yourself into this time,” Parkinson warned gravely, though she had a look on her face that suggested she wouldn't quite mind.

“My father doesn’t have to know everything that I do, Pansy.” Travers shot back at the girl before focusing her eyes on Zabini again, the sight making Astoria stiffen a bit at the blatantly sexual look. The boy appeared politely revolted, “and you’ll see that I can be a _very_ good sport,” she purred and Astoria felt bile in her throat.

Malfoy glanced at the girl with disinterest and Astoria knew that he had a hatred for anyone with red hair. The entire Weasley family sported it nicely and they were known to be blood traitors. “I meant Greengrass,” he said dryly.

Zabini looked away from Travers with barely concealed disgust but it was difficult to see what had revolted him. Astoria didn't think he he cared anymore about half-blood witches than his moronic companions, “I see,” he said to Malfoy, “we can’t have that happening no matter how much we want it, now can we?” he asked pointedly.

Malfoy flushed a bit pink at this but it was from annoyance. “True,” he said crisply and in a warning tone that caused Crabbe and Goyle to sneer at each other as if hoping for a bloodbath. “ _Well_?” he asked Zabini.

Astoria wondered what the tension between them was all about but she had a feeling that Zabini despised Malfoy and that caused her to smirk a bit. She apparently wasn't the only one and she looked at Zabini and saw that his eyes were running over her critically, going to her heaving chest and then back to her face. “Are you in, Greengrass?” he whispered.

If her parents found out that she had stabbed them in the eye with the heels of her shoes, they would disown her so she said, for their sakes. “Yes,” though she intended on being very, very far away.

Malfoy’s lips tilted upwards in a challenging sneer before he stood up and stretched, Astoria wondering why someone had blessed him with such a nice physique that he didn’t deserve. Tall and strapping but she supposed that his father had appeared just so before he had starting sinking his teeth into every vulnerable woman in the area.

“Let me get the bag.” He said while walking to a large bookshelf and moving aside some novels and reaching into a small hole. “If my parents found out how we spend our evenings, they’ll stop letting me have you all over.”

Astoria looked over warily to see a small bag in his hands that he rattled around, the red fabric appearing like a bloody and bleeding heart, tied off with a gold string. Malfoy sauntered back over to the eager group and opened it and took out a small, square piece of wood that was colored a deep black, “Now, for those of you who don’t know what the game really is, I’ll waste my time explaining it.”

Every eye turned to her and her brow quirked and she fanned herself a bit, wanting the corset strings to be loosened. The powder room would have house-elves and she could have them take it loose for her so she wouldn’t drown in pea soup, “Go on,” Astoria said dryly.

Malfoy’s eyes were on her for a while longer after everyone else had looked away and she felt as if ghosts were doing a waltz on her spine. He held up the black piece of wood with a smirk, “Now, this is just a simple matching tool. Each piece of wood is a different color with a different instruction on the back. This one says, “bite”,” he said cheekily and Parkinson and her other friend giggled. “The mate to it will be blank.”

“Why?” Astoria demanded. “So the other person has to allow some random stranger to sink their teeth into them and not fight back?” she asked hotly.

Nott leaned forward in his chair and she saw his dark eyes going over her, as if taking in her scent and she recoiled. “I smell a virgin in the room. Now it _really_ gets interesting.”

Astoria wondered how quickly she could contact Scorpious. Emily would be too busy flirting and giggling to save her and she wondered if she had ever played this game before. “That is apparently the object of the game, Greengrass.” Malfoy said calmly, “if you get caught by the person who has the instruction then you have to let them have their way.”

“But that’s _wrong_!” Astoria cried hotly. Parkinson laughed jeeringly and Nott gave her a look, “you’re all mental!” it was almost so disgusting that she couldn’t grasp that she was even in the same room with them.

Malfoy rattled the bag. “Scared?” Astoria frowned at him and felt herself blushing. “You said that you were in, so you’re in, Half and Half. And you’d better pray that Goyle doesn’t get you. He likes to _chew_ ,” he said and the boy laughed a little, as if he found it very funny.

Astoria would make sure that she was far from the room and turned her nose up at him and tried to say with some dignity. “I’ll play, Malfoy. You don’t scare me.” Zabini gave her a pitying look as Malfoy rattled the bag again, placing the black piece back inside and shaking it up rather well.

Parkinson and her friend were bouncing in their seats and Astoria hoped that she didn’t get a girl, they were all so mental, all so horribly twisted in the head. “All right,” Malfoy murmured silkily as he opened the bag and held it out to Nott, “you first, mate.”

“Let me get “suck”, I _love_ getting that one.” Nott said as he waggled his brows and Astoria reeled away in her seat, hoping against all that was holy that she wouldn’t match his color. When he reached inside of the bag, he pulled out a pink piece and frowned, ““tickle”?” he read annoyingly.

Malfoy laughed a bit and held out the bag to the unknown girl in the room and said with a cajoling smile. “C’mon Mary, your sister Millicent is all the way outside chatting it up with Rowle. She can’t save you this time.” He whispered devilishly.

Astoria had a feeling that she was younger than they were, explaining somewhat why she hadn’t really recognized her but the name Bulstrode reminded her of pain. Mary Bulstrode didn’t look at all like her bull-like sister and she recalled that Emily had told her that their mother had had an affair before she had been born, which would explain her shocking appearance.

Regardless, the two girls were daughters of Death Eaters as well and she paled considerably as the girl reached inside and took out a purple piece. Nott frowned deeply and Mary Bulstrode looked at it and pouted, “It’s blank. Apparently my fate is up to someone else tonight, Draco,”

Malfoy smiled in a pitying way before holding the bag over to Parkinson and she reached eagerly inside of it and pulled out a pink piece and frowned. “Not again!” she said and Nott rolled his eyes and sank moodily into his seat, not very pleased with this turn of events.

Zabini sighed wearily and Astoria felt his eyes on her hair and she glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes warningly. A grin was playing across his mouth that she thought was almost playful though it was hard to tell, “Scared?” he whispered.

“Of course not,” Astoria shot back.

That earned her another grin and she watched as the firelight played across his brown skin and for just a moment her heart skipped a beat. Astoria flushed a bit in annoyance, thinking that his dark eyes were almost hypnotic, “There's no reason to lie, I understand that this is probably more frightening than anything else that might happen tonight.” The boy replied, obviously mocking her.

Astoria frowned warningly and it only seemed to amuse him further, though the others didn't seem to notice this little bit of conversation. Malfoy's eyes darted between them briefly at some point but he said nothing, only scowled, “You make it sound like I'm about to be sacrificed,” she snapped.

“I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to, you should be careful. Not all of them are just going to play tonight,” Zabini replied calmly and she saw his eyes glance at Malfoy, who was watching her once again. Astoria's upper lip curled before she glared at him again, wondering what sort of game he was playing, “or be gentle about it.”

“Like you're any different,” Astoria replied coolly.

Zabini's eyes flashed warningly and it made her think of dungeons and rooms that were set far underground, away from humanity. “Careful, Greengrass that sharp mouth might get you into trouble with the wrong person if you don't watch your step,” he said just as coolly, his brows raising as if he found her to be reckless.

“Bite me, Zabini.” Astoria hissed back.

“Careful, you may get your wish.” Zabini whispered back with a little wink that caused her to wonder if someone were being tortured several miles away. The brief bit of outrage she'd seen in his eyes was gone but before she could answer him, there was a loud bark of a laugh that broke whatever moment they'd had.

“Purple, Crabbe!” Malfoy suddenly crowed and Mary Bulstrode looked very nervous and sickly. Astoria looked around uncomfortably, wondering how she had allowed Zabini to distract her from the real monsters in the room, “what’s it say?”

““Touch”,” Crabbe said in his surprisingly quiet voice, though it was by no means gentle.

Astoria felt very sorry for Mary Bulstrode.

Malfoy turned to Samantha Travers with a challenging grin and she smiled at him a bit before reaching into the bag and taking out the black piece from earlier. “I was hoping to get that one myself,” he murmured and Astoria felt spiders moving under her skin as he glanced in her direction.

Shaking the bag a bit, he turned to Zabini and watched as his eyes glanced warily between Astoria and Travers, a nasty frown on his face. Astoria watched as Zabini smiled thinly at him before reaching inside and pulling out the matching black piece. “Damn,” he whispered.

“I just noticed that we don’t have enough girls,” Malfoy said, there being only four girls and five boys in the room. He looked thoughtful but just then, the door opened and Millicent Bulstrode strolled in, larger than a normal woman should be and Astoria recoiled in revulsion as she stomped over. “Ah, we were just talking about you.”

“Not that game _again_ ,” Bulstrode said dryly.

Malfoy winked at her and held the bag up imperiously. “Come on. Try your luck.”

Bulstrode said with a slight smirk that made her wide mouth look like a frog’s smile. “I’ll play just this one time because I’m bored and it seems like Mary’s already gotten into it without thinking first.” She sounded disapproving before she reached her beefy hand into the bag and pulled out a red blank and frowned a little, “I hope it’s not “nibble” this time.”

Goyle was looking quite nervous and Astoria didn’t really blame him as Malfoy held out the bag under his nose and said with a smile. “Test your fate, Greg,” there was something very mocking about it but she wasn't certain if that were anything particularly unusual for him, he seemed to like bullying even his friends.

Astoria watched as Goyle reached inside and pulled out the matching red piece and groaned irritably. “It is “nibble”” and Bulstrode kicked at the floor and made herself look all the more mannish.

Malfoy now turned to her. The bag was rattling around in his hand and she could hear two more pieces and knew that no matter what she got, she would not enjoy it. For a moment she considered taking herself elsewhere and fleeing but there was a nasty look in his eye that would have been too cruel to ignore.

As if he could read her mind and he smiled challengingly and watched as she reached inside the bag, wondering if she would be bitten or struck down before pulling out a simple white piece. She looked at it, feeling it chipping into her fingers and it looked very well used and she frowned before Malfoy reached inside and pulled out the match.

Parkinson frowned and then asked curiously, “They change each time. What did _you_ get, Draco?” Astoria felt her fingers burning and she found herself getting very dizzy and wondered if she were going to faint.

But Malfoy smiled happily, holding up the white piece and twirling it around in his hands as if he were already stroking her skin and she felt bile rising in her throat as his grey eyes flicked to her violet ones. “Aren’t you in for a treat, Half and Half?” he purred. “You get to be kissed tonight.”

  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	2. Purebloods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria is horrified beyond belief as she realizes that escaping Draco Malfoy and her own lies will be nearly impossible. With a room filled with purebloods and the game determining what she has never wanted, her need to escape has never seemed so elusive and cruel.

Astoria was aware that every eye in the room was waiting for her reaction and while her mind tried to reason with the furious pounding of her heart. She couldn’t find words to express how mortified she was. The game had betrayed her, she hadn’t expected to be so thoroughly made fun of by the Gods in heaven and she stared at the blank white piece in her hand and felt little hives breaking out over her skin. She felt quite ill; there was no other way to describe it.

A flush was spreading over her cheeks and she felt little shivers breaking out over skin and it was hard to breathe. So very hard to breathe and the constraints of her corset seemed to have taken their toll and without a care in the world, Astoria felt herself standing, desperately needing to be away. She was surprised that her jellied legs could even move forward as Parkinson hissed, “What’s her issue?” in a snide tone.

Everything sounded slurred and Astoria could barely see as she tried to make it to the door and escape to the powder room, she had to get her corset strings loosened. Sweat broke out along her forehead and she cursed a bit, feeling as if she would throw up, “Greengrass,” someone said from behind her.

Astoria turned and saw a blurry shape near her, looking as tall as a mountain and disgust welled up inside of her. “Get away from me,”

“Greengrass, you need to sit down.” The person advised; the voice distorted and unholy.

“Get away,” Astoria said furiously and just as she turned to walk away, her knees buckled, pain exploded behind her eyes and she fainted

……

Draco Malfoy watched in amazement as Blaise caught Greengrass before she fell face forward onto his Persian carpet in a rather unladylike way. How he managed to do so was beyond him but he watched enviously as he settled her into his arms carefully and checked her pulse, “She isn’t dead, is she?” he asked with a sigh.

Blaise looked over at them all, the eight of them staring in a sort of shocked amusement that was only made worse when Pansy roared with laughter. “Shut up, Pansy,” he snarled. “She’s ill.”

“Ill?” Draco asked while raising his upper lip. “Take her somewhere so she can recover then.”

Blaise glared at him in complete contempt. “Draco, this is your party. How would you feel if your parents walked in on this? Contact her sister or parents so they can take care of her.”

Draco stared at him in aggravation and stood up from his chair, very furious indeed. “All right, all right, meanwhile, dump her somewhere, Blaise.” He advised as he strolled across the room and towards the door to signal discreetly for a servant.

Behind him, the others were still chortling at the sight of Greengrass but he was feeling the most unflattering sensation. How dare she faint on him when he was just getting started! The expression of deepest loathing on her face, not to mention her disgust had caused him to feel sullied somehow and he had just been about to say something cruel when she had gotten up.

Every delicious curve in her body had been on display in that green gown of hers, so green that it was almost black and he’d watched her hungrily but had felt the most peculiar sense of annoyance when she’d fainted. It was rather inconvenient, “You,” he snapped while opening the door and waving a servant girl over.

She was small and very round and at the sight of him she nearly dropped a tray of sweets that she had been carrying. “Yes sir?” she squeaked.

“Locate Ms. Greengrass’s parents immediately and if you can’t disturb them, locate her brother or sister and have them clean this mess up.” Draco commanded to the girl and she nodded brusquely and dashed away.

Draco sighed irritably and closed the door and turned around. Blaise was still cradling Greengrass and fanning her face a bit, her dark hair draped over his forearm like a tempting veil, “Blaise, what the bloody hell are you doing? Dump her on the floor and call it a night.”

“Charming, Draco,” Blaise snapped while scooping Greengrass up and turning to Pansy with a frown. “Get up.” He commanded forcefully and Draco saw his old flame splutter indignantly, “now.”

“That’s not very kind of you, Blaise.” Theodore Nott said dryly while sipping the remainder of his wine, looking put out. “You’ll muck up the fine fabric.”

Blaise closed his eyes in irritation and then opened them again while Draco sauntered over to peer into his arms. Greengrass was almost angelic and his mouth watered just a little, “Back off,” he snapped to him, upon catching the lustful glow in his eyes, “the game might have to be canceled.”

Samantha Travers, whom Draco had known from school for many years, looked very angry about this indeed. “But you can’t do that!”

Draco held up his hands to calm her down. “Easy, now. The game isn’t going to be canceled because of Greengrass, I assure you.” Pansy looked a bit disappointed and he knew that she was hoping Theodore would forget all about tickling her tonight. “Budge over, Pansy so he can take care of this nuisance. I’d rather not have Mother and Father on my case tonight.”

That threat hung in the air and Pansy got up from the chaise and then stood awkwardly for a moment before Goyle rolled his eyes and allowed her to sit beside him on the couch he and Crabbe had been loitering on. She sat carefully, smoothing out her dress and asked, “What are you going to do with her, Blaise?”

“Nothing,” Blaise replied calmly while walking up and gently laying Greengrass onto the chaise and standing over her. “And neither will any of you.”

Draco frowned at him angrily. “You don’t give the orders in my home, Blaise.”

Blaise heaved a weary sort of sigh. “I believe I know what’s on your mind, Draco and I can’t approve of you molesting a girl in her sleep,” he said dryly and this brought on nervous laughter from the others.

Draco flushed pink and he tried to compose himself enough to regain a bit of control. What he intended on doing to Greengrass was none of his concern, “What makes you out to be the gentleman tonight, Blaise? I wasn’t aware that you were interested in breeds.”

That stung and Blaise’s face turned furious and almost apologetic but he had a feeling that it wasn’t directed at him. Mary Bulstrode broke up the nasty silence to say, “Who is this girl anyway?”

“Astoria Greengrass.” Draco said immediately. “Her family was once very rich, almost like my own but fell on hard times and while that’s understandable, having a breed is not.”

Samantha Travers moved away from Greengrass as she stirred fitfully. “Ew, why would they allow someone like this into their family? Father says that breeds were hushed up back in his day and dumped in orphanages.”

“Very smart of them of course. Can’t have the world knowing about any mistakes,” Draco said quietly while watching Blaise as he turned to stare at Greengrass. His interest in her worried him because he wanted no competition, “there isn’t much that’s known about her though, but I’m assuming she’s just a bastard raised among the legitimate children.”

Millicent looked disgusted. “I’m not sure if I can stay in the same room with her,” she said while plugging her nose and making Crabbe laugh. “Muggles and half breeds are just the same in my book.”

“Don’t forget those blood-traitors. Anyone curious about how those flea- bitten Weasley’s are doing?” Draco Malfoy asked them curiously. Everyone looked a bit interested, “Father says that they’re working on getting into their home and arresting them all, the only thing is that they’ve had more than one Order member on their side.”

“Well, that’s not going to take long. With the Dark Lord controlling the Ministry, they’ll be dead within weeks,” Pansy said proudly. She looked a bit flushed with delight, “to see that nasty Weasley girl in Azkaban is just too hilarious.”

Draco smirked thinly and Blaise rolled his eyes just a bit. “Wanting to sink your teeth into her, Blaise?” he asked him.

Blaise flinched a little, it had been said by Pansy not too long ago that he had thought she was pretty. It was a true observation but the boy’s lips curled, “I’m no fan of red hair,” he said instead and Samantha Travers flinched in shock.

Draco snorted a little and flicked his eyes to Greengrass’s rosy little mouth and felt a tugging in his chest, his need almost vile. “Then I suppose you like them brunette?”

“Women are women, Draco. And my preference has nothing at all to do with you, unless you’re trying to tell me something,” Blaise said snidely and the group laughed. Draco glared at him viciously but the boy turned away from him, his eyes on the breed, “it’s no secret what you want.”

Draco flinched a little and he wanted to ram his wand into his eye and crush his skull but just as he was about to say something, the door nearly exploded open. Turning in surprise, he watched as the oldest Greengrass daughter and that brother of hers stormed in, the brother looking rumpled and furious, “Stori!” the oldest girl said while rushing up, wand drawn.

The sight of the ebony and unicorn hair wand caused Draco and the others to exchange startled looks before they hastily moved away. “What have you done to her?” the brother demanded, his eyes flashing. “I swear to Merlin I’ll flay you alive!”

“We didn’t do anything to her!” Pansy defended for him as Draco watched the sister bend down to Greengrass and check her pulse. “She fainted!”

That caused the brother to relax only somewhat but he had a flushed quality to his face that Draco knew only too well and he smiled a little. It made the older boy narrow his eyes dangerously, “Were you busy Greengrass?” Draco asked him.

“I’ll be busy shoving the tip of my wand up your ass if I find out that you put your slimy hands on my sister you filthy—” Greengrass started but his sister shook her head firmly at him. “Git,” he amended and Draco quirked his brow.

Blaise had moved aside so that the older sister could examine the girl and he explained calmly. “I wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to her. It goes against my code as a gentleman, Greengrass. I can assure you that she’s quite safe.”

Draco watched as the older brother sneered. “Safe from _purebloods_ ,” he snapped under his breath scathingly before nodding, “if you say so, Zabini. I thank you for it,” the words might as well have been wrenched from the pit of his soul, they were so forced.

Blaise caught up on it and nodded stiffly. “Stori, love, it's Emily,” the sister was crooning while Pansy and the other girls raked her critically. They were taking in her gown and lovely profile.

Theodore and the others were too busy eyeing the older brother with barely concealed fright to really notice that Emily Greengrass looked nothing like her sister. She was taller, slimmer and her hair was like spun gold, her eyes like green jewels, “Oh, Stori, you little twit.” She said fondly. “Scorpious, be a dear and take out the smelling salts.”

“I didn’t bring any,” the brother replied with a shamefaced expression.

Draco narrowed his eyes critically, wondering why they would need them on their person like this, did Greengrass faint often? The thought made him snort with laughter but Blaise covered it up by taking out a small square shape in his robes. “My mother is a bit over dramatic.” He explained when Emily Greengrass narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “it's smelling salts.”

There was a slight moment when the girl stared up at him warily before taking it, opening the wrapper and waving it under her sister’s nose. “Scorpious, could you get her some water please?” she asked her brother.

“Of course,” the brother replied with a nod before he stalked menacingly from the room, a deep promise of revenge on his handsome face.

Draco shuddered inwardly and then watched as Greengrass stirred, coughing. She looked a bit delirious but at the sight of her sister, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around her neck, “Emily, it was horrid!” she cried.

Pansy and the others snickered a bit but Greengrass was being held by her sister comfortingly and the sight was so endearing that it was nearly sickening. Draco had no siblings that he knew of and he was curious about the brief spark of envy that he gathered at the sight, “Oh, relax Greengrass. You’re alive,” he snapped.

Greengrass released her sister and then angled her head to look at him and he watched as her entire face turned pale with disgust. It wasn’t exactly a boost to his ego, “You’re lucky that I am,” she hissed threateningly.

“Now you watch your mouth you stinking breed!” Draco cried.

Emily Greengrass said something to her sister and then stood and smoothed out the folds in her cherry red gown. “Mr. Malfoy, I’d advise you not to take that tone with my sister while I’m in the room,” she warned.

“Who do you people think you _are_?” Draco demanded. “I’m a Malfoy, you can’t talk to me that way when your family is nothing more than paupers begging for a _meal_ ,” he sneered.

A flush spread to the girl’s cheeks at the truth of this but her younger sister stood up and Draco was unnerved to see that she had her wand drawn. It was a formidable looking weapon and he felt breaths escaping from the other’s mouths at her nerve, “Stori, don’t.” Emily Greengrass warned.

“He is such a prat!” Greengrass snarled. “Ooh, the day when I can hex him will be the greatest day of my life, he makes me _ill_!” she emphasized to her sister in a carrying whisper that was meant to be heard by everyone in the room.

Draco watched as his friends all stared at him, expecting him to do something foul to her but he wasn’t seventeen yet. He would be in more than enough trouble from his father if he killed this girl and her revolting family, “Greengrass—” he started in a severe warning.

Blaise intervened yet again and placed his hand on Greengrass’s arm. Draco had never seen a woman shudder so openly at the slight touch of a man and the girl looked up at him with her lip raised in true loathing. “Until that fine day arrives, Greengrass, I’d advise you to take it easy. You’re not thinking clearly.”

Draco watched as Greengrass stared at him for a moment or two before yanking herself away from him and spitting. “Get your hands off of me you _filthy_ pureblood!”

“Stori!” Emily Greengrass said in a shocked whisper.

Blaise looked truly shocked. “My apologies,” he said hastily.

Greengrass looked quite mad and she clutched at her chest painfully before she looked up and saw that brother of hers coming into the room. Draco was too shocked to really even think and the others were looking just as stunned by her exclamation, “Scorpy, thank Merlin.” She said to her brother.

“Stori, we need to have a slight discussion.” Scorpious Greengrass said while holding up a glass for her and smiling only faintly when she crossed the room and hugged him. Draco frowned and then watched as she took the glass from his hand and drank deeply, her cheeks turning pink after swallowing her fill, “Emily, you as well.”

“All right,” Emily Greengrass said with a weary look. “Mr. Malfoy,” her voice dripped with false apology before she angled her head at the others in the room, nodding here and there. “Until supper,” she said in a pleasant tinkle.

Draco felt another inward shudder at the look she gave him before she pressed out of the room and he moved out of her way. The family disturbed him and he wasn’t quite sure what it was that unnerved him so deeply, “I’ll make sure that there are no more invites, Greengrass. Be aware that your time around pureblood society is over for your cheek.”

“You’ll have to go through your father for that decision and I’m not certain if he’ll agree with you on that,” Scorpious Greengrass said calmly, his eyes twinkling cruelly.

There was a tense silence before Greengrass turned and looked at him for the first time without disgust and Draco saw that it was pity. He wasn’t sure what it was for but he snarled, “Do you have something to say to me, Greengrass?”

She shook her head and his eyes flicked unwillingly to the pulse of her throat, wanting to trace his tongue over the area. “No, Malfoy. I have nothing to say that you would like to hear,” she said eventually and her lips turned up in a sneer.

It was a shocking expression on a woman and as the three of them turned away, Draco found himself staring at the back of her head. “The game isn’t over Greengrass,” he called to her.

For a moment she stiffened and pressed on but by some unknown force, she turned around and met his eyes. Draco smiled charmingly and she raised her chin in a haughty sort of way, ironically making him more aroused than he had ever been in his life and she spat, “As far as I’m concerned, Malfoy. The game _is_ over and thank God for it,”

She might as well have punched him in the groin and Draco glowered after her when she turned away and was swept from the room like some sort of unearthly creature, two knights by her side.

……

“Stori do I have to tell you that we can’t go around making enemies with these people?” Scorpious demanded from Astoria a few minutes later after they were far from Malfoy’s personal lounge or whatever he called it. She stared up at him and then looked away bitterly, “we have to watch our steps! Do you know what could happen to us all if we’re not careful?”

Astoria bit on her lower lip a bit and felt that her corset was cutting into her skin again, making it very hard to breathe. Emily was examining her worriedly, “I can’t help it. I despise him!”

Scorpious sighed and ran his fingers through his blonde hair irritably. “Stori, I know that but now you’ve made them suspicious about us! Filthy pureblood scum,” he spat unkindly. “Emily, you keep your eye on her a bit more carefully,” he scolded.

Emily flushed pink. “I was only chatting with a very nice gentleman—”

“About as old as Dad,” Scorpious interjected hotly. Emily frowned at him and pushed a lock of her own blonde hair behind her ear, “I know that we all have to make a good match but we have to be careful about what we say and who we say it to.”

Astoria sighed a bit and gnawed on her lower lip for a moment longer before stilling the action as Emily gave her a disapproving look. “I’m sorry, Scorpy. Truly I am,” she said honestly and her older brother merely jerked his head at her, “I didn’t mean to say it but they’re all so vile.”

“Of course they are, they’re purebloods,” Scorpious said dryly.

Emily nodded, though it was rather reluctant. She enjoyed the life far much more than they did but to survive, the three of them had to do what was necessary, no matter if they wanted it or not, “If we all marry well, we’ll be able to save the family’s fortune. And then, perhaps—”

“Perhaps what?” Astoria demanded. “Be shackled for the rest of our lives to people we can’t even stand? Screw that,” she said sourly, “I want to be with someone that I love.”

Scorpious gave her a tender smile but Emily frowned at her, this not being the first time that they had argued over this. “Stori, you’ll find someone and when dad finishes his…business we can divorce, live happily and leave this all behind.”

Astoria frowned because the family business was going to take far longer to get out of her their father’s system than just a few silly marriages. Scorpious had no plans on marrying a pureblood girl in the first place and while she knew this very well, Emily did not because she tended to find him aggravating with his views, “Leave this all behind is something that I don’t know will ever happen. I’m so tired of being alone,”

Emily gave her a soft smile and pulled her into a comforting hug and shot Scorpious a dirty look that he gawped at. “It’s going to be okay, Stori. Trust me, no one will ever find out, you’ll marry a delightful man and everything will be just fine.”

“Not if Malfoy is sniffing around. He stalks me at school you know,” Astoria replied from the protection of her bosom. “He frightens me,” she admitted reluctantly, “he has a way of finding me that’s almost unnerving.”

Scorpious and Emily exchanged looks, both of them out of Hogwarts and unable to protect her the way that they would have liked. “Stori, you know how to protect yourself and we have contacts if you would like him to be disposed of.”

“ _Scorpious_!” Emily cried, aghast.

“What? We do, I’m just saying, we could…let him go missing.” Scorpious said with a playful shrug and Astoria shuddered, they couldn’t have that happening again. It was why there was only three of them now, “but I’m sure that dad wouldn’t appreciate that when he has more business to get into with the prat’s father.”

Astoria hoped that he didn’t wind up getting hurt or worse…enjoying himself far too much with Lucius Malfoy. “We can’t kill Malfoy, no matter how nice it would be to see him without that smug little grin on his face. As long as I’m careful, he’ll never find out where I am.”

The route to her private dorm changed often and she always received the directions anonymously through her mail. With Snape as Headmaster though she worried that things might have changed severely and would just have to wait until she was back at Hogwarts in a few days, “That’s the spirit Stori. Now, if we can get through this dinner and suffer a bit more, everything will work out just fine,” Scorpious assured her gravely.

Emily nodded a bit but then said. “Malfoy is something that we’ll have to take care of in some way or another. If you would like for me to handle it, Scorpious, I could distract him?”

“Emily, no. You have more important things to do,” Scorpious said firmly while Astoria stared up at her in disgust. “Malfoy will get more than he bargained for if he gets too close to our sister. I say let him, he needs to be taught a lesson.”

Astoria worried that he might find out too much by that point but she nodded a little and was about to say something when they heard activity. Guests were leaving rooms and coming in from a walk outside in the chilly night air and she supposed that it was time for dinner, “I have to get my corset strings loosened up. I don’t want to faint again.”

“Would you like me to come with you?” Emily asked her gently.

“No, no. I’m fine, it's already suspicious enough and I don’t need Malfoy overhearing something that’s none of his business,” Astoria said with a frown. “He’ll be doing it more often now that I’ve called Zabini a filthy pureblood,”

Scorpious snorted. “He is what he is,”

Emily frowned at him gravely. “He seemed quite all right.”

“Emily, what have we always been taught?” Scorpious asked hotly.

Astoria said it for her sister. “Never trust a pureblood.”

“ _Never_ trust a pureblood. You seem to forget,” Scorpious said to Emily before he turned away and walked off, downing the last bit of water that he’d gotten from Astoria as he went.

“I’m sorry for ruining your night!” Astoria called to him.

Scorpious waved it off and Emily huffed a sigh. “I had to send him a hasty Patronus and he must have Apparated here faster than normal. Where does he _go_ all the time?” she asked her sister, following her anyway to the powder room.

Astoria shrugged a little and Emily rolled her eyes a bit before they walked and winded around corridors towards their destination. “…What Malfoy said about the game—?”

“Not that game _again_ ,” Emily said with an eye roll, sounding bored.

“So you’ve played it? Emily!” Astoria cried in alarm.

Emily shrugged prettily. “It was no big deal, Stori. It was quite fun and I was unable to walk for days,” she said loftily and Astoria paled considerably. “Oh, don’t be such a baby, dear. It happens to us all and I must say that young Malfoy intends on having you,”

Astoria couldn’t believe that her sister had actually allowed some pureblood boy to do that to her and she wondered how often she’d seen Emily in too good of a mood. It worried her, “Emily, you should be more careful.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine. I need information and men are so foolish when they’re…distracted,” Emily said pompously and Astoria would never resort to that sort of questioning, no matter if they needed it or not. “Perhaps you should seduce young Malfoy and gather some more for daddy,”

“I’ll boil myself alive before I allow that git to touch me!” Astoria cried while they finally came up to a pink door that was suddenly opened by a small house-elf. It was packed with people and she angled herself inside with her sister, “Emily, do _not_ mention that to dad!”

Emily smiled at her innocent expression fondly before they were being shoved in front of a large expanse of mirror by house-elves. It was a very large and elegant room that smelt like perfume, coal and rouge that caused Astoria to sneeze a bit as she took in the utensils flying around and the stools that were seated with various women and girls in all colors.

There was a lot of laughter, curses and poor house-elves wandering around on the plush white carpet, the chatter unstintingly infectious. Astoria sighed irritably while her hair was magically fixed, more perfume being added to her body against her will, “As much as it pains me, I find him quite handsome.” Her sister whispered.

Astoria sent her a revolted stare as a house-elf frightfully walked up to her and at the sight of its big blue eyes she had to smile. “Would you be a dear and loosen my corset strings for me? I’m about to keel over,” the creature stared up at her in surprise.

“Yes miss!” it squeaked happily while rushing behind her.

A few of the women stared at her in confusion and then shrugged her off and went back to prattling on and on. Astoria found herself slowly dying and winced just a bit as her corset was loosened, her ribs painfully coming back to life, “…Samantha plans on getting that Zabini boy,” she heard a girl say to her friend.

“Ooh, he’s so handsome but I’m afraid that he isn’t exactly interested from what she’s told me. It’s been ages since Samantha has had fresh prey,” the other girl beside her said.

Astoria looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her eyes were a bit red from shock and her hair looked sweaty. Her skin was as pale as ever though and she pinched her cheeks, “Is Zabini a nice catch?” she asked.

“I suppose.” The girl said to her warily, sizing her up.

Astoria gave her a dark look. “I’m not interested, just curious.”

Pleased by her lack of interest in the boy, the girl went on. “His mother is very rich and I hear that he’s going to be heading back to Hogwarts someday as Potions teacher with more Galleons than necessary. Each of his fathers has left him a sufficient inheritance to tide him over, why he would want to go back to _teach_ is beyond me,” she said while a house-elf patted her cheeks with concealer.

It made her skin look like a corpse but Astoria said nothing and wondered about Blaise Zabini a bit. He had protected her from those monsters in Malfoy’s room and she owed him her thanks and an apology for insulting him, no matter if a pure blood’s touch made her recoil, “He’s a tad quiet, don’t you think?” another girl asked while her hair was pulled back in a tight bun.

“He’s always been that way.” The girl beside Astoria replied calmly. “But I have my eyes set on Draco, he’s quite the charmer,” she said with a flirty giggle.

Astoria felt bile rising in her throat and sent Emily a look that her sister giggled at before tucking a wisp of her hair behind her ear. “And an excellent partner, if you can catch my meaning,” another girl said with a laugh.

They began talking about things that Astoria had never experienced and she turned bright red and tried to tune them out. There was a lot of giggling and laughing from her sister as well before her corset was loosened and she was able to breathe properly, “You is all done miss,” the house-elf squeaked.

“Thank you,” Astoria said in relief before tapping Emily on the arm and gathering her attention again as she laughed along with the other fools in the room. “I’m going on ahead. I’ll be _fine_ ,” she assured when her sister looked concerned.

Emily nodded and patted her hand before she walked out, thankfully leaving the room behind her as she wandered back to the front of the house. Some part of her wondered if she could just go home without supper and then call it a night but their parents wouldn’t be pleased with that though, she couldn’t afford to have them upset with her,

Astoria walked on determinedly, somehow feeling rather than knowing that she was being followed. The past had made her sensitive to the sound of approaching footfalls and she angled her head over her shoulder and barely caught a tall dark shape and frowned, “Malfoy, at least come out and stop playing games.” She wasn’t in the mood for them.

As predicted, Draco Malfoy seemed to pull away from the shadows like a dark spectral being. His blonde hair was neatly pushed back and his dress robes were immaculate but Astoria was never more afraid to see him as he ran his eyes over her frame, “Half and Half, we need to have a slight discussion.”

“Bite me, Malfoy,” Astoria replied scathingly.

“Kiss,” Malfoy corrected while walking down to her and causing her skin to break out in a chill that she couldn’t be rid of. Seeing the expression on her face, he smiled charmingly, “no need to be so frightened of me yet, sweet. I don’t intend on harming you just yet.”

Astoria reeled away from him at the endearment and took a slight step back, perhaps a mistake because he filled in the space easily. “Go away, Malfoy. I’m not in the mood to be dealing with you again tonight and I’m not going to take any of your threats with a smile,”

Malfoy looked awfully curious and eyed her for a long time, until she was feeling her knees buckling together. “…You’re a curious little thing, aren’t you Half and Half? First your siblings threaten me and then you hint that there are worse things to come for me if I harm you. I’d like to know what you all are up to.”

“Like I would tell _you_ ,” Astoria replied calmly while staring into his grey eyes and feeling her cheeks turning red. She had heard too many rumors about him in that powder room and the images that she had gotten made it hard to breathe, “Mind your own business Malfoy if you like where you’re at.”

“There you are again, making idle threats as if you’re able to get away with them.” Malfoy said in a calm voice, though it sounded like a rattlesnake purring. Astoria made an attempt to turn around with her dignity intact but he reached out and gripped her upper arm, “I might as well warn you now that you’ll never find a moment’s peace once we return to Hogwarts.”

Astoria had more than enough to worry about without him stalking her at school but she frowned deeply. His body heat cloaked her and she worried about how he had so easily invaded her space, “Let me go,”

“Make me.” Malfoy taunted. Astoria gritted her teeth, “despite your threats in my lounge, you’re not seventeen yet, are you?”

“If I were, you’d be flat on your back and begging for me to end it all,” Astoria snarled angrily and he chuckled. “Don’t be stupid enough to think that I can’t fight if I don’t have to, Malfoy.”

For a moment they said nothing but Astoria let out a gasp of surprise as he bent and pressed his lips to the back of her sweaty neck, sliding his tongue over a sensitive space. “As sweet as sugar.” Malfoy murmured. “When I get my hands on you later I’ll worry that your mouth might be bitter,”

Astoria rammed her elbow back and it struck him in the abdomen. “You disgusting prat, get your hands off of me!” she cried in mortification, trying to break free.

Malfoy frowned and yanked her around until they were staring into each other’s eyes, until she felt as if she’d drowned in his. The hallways were dark, the chatter sounding distant and Astoria reeled back in fright as he reached up and stroked his thumb over her lower lip, “Such a temper, Greengrass.”

A burst of fire shot up her body as his thumb rasped along her skin again in a practiced way that almost made her turn into butter. Unnerved, Astoria snapped, “Why are your hands so rough?”

Malfoy blinked in amusement. “Quidditch,” she had always thought that his hands would be slimy, like a flobberworm but they were very warm and she had to deduce that he might be human after all.

“Oh,” Astoria said sourly before reaching up and taking his wrist. “Now let me go. I’m warning you now,”

“You’ve warned me enough. I don’t think that your parents would appreciate you hexing the son of their host and hostess,” Malfoy jeered and Astoria flushed angrily because this was very true. It would also ruin her father’s plans if more attention was brought upon them, “also, I meant what I said, Greengrass. I’ll have a discussion with my father and have your family removed from every guest list, every invitation in pureblood society. I’ll ruin you.”

The words sounded haunting to her ears and Astoria stared up at him in horror. “You wouldn’t! You don’t have any idea how much this means to me and my family!” to Emily, who wanted to get married and to Scorpious who just wanted it to be over. And to her, who wanted to be happy, blissfully and truly happy with the person who would dare to love her, “please,”

Her plea was out before she could stop it and Malfoy’s grey eyes flared with unabashed pleasure and she fumed. “ _Please_?” he repeated thoughtfully.

Astoria knew that she had sunk into some sort of trap now and she turned her head away and felt his thumb and forefinger gripping her chin. Forcefully, Malfoy angled her head back, “You heard me the first time, prat.”

“I did but I like the way you say it.” Malfoy replied gently and Astoria’s skin burst into a wild blush at the look in his eyes. “Over and over again, that’s what I’d like to hear.”

“What are you talking about? You’ll never get that lucky,” Astoria snapped furiously. “I like real men, or at the very least, _human_ men,” she insulted pointedly.

Malfoy looked furious by her nerve and then, slowly, he seemed to gather himself before he bent and pressed his lips against hers. “You’ve captured my fancy Half and Half and I intend on having you no matter what the circumstances are. Remember that,”

Astoria raised her upper lip even as a bolt of terror shot down her back. “The fact that I don’t and have never wanted you bothers you doesn’t it Malfoy? Keeps you up at night?” she asked calmly and the truth flashed across his face. “Does it give you nightmares?”

Malfoy barked a cold laugh. “Nightmares are far from my mind when I’m thinking of you, Half and Half. We’ve despised each other since first year when you spat in my face for calling you a breed,” he reminded and Astoria actually smirked.

“You deserved it.” Astoria shot back.

Malfoy sneered and his lips brushed against hers more firmly. “Insolent darling,” he whispered gently, “no matter if you are a breed, poor and rude, I’m going to have you and I don’t care what you have to say about it.”

Astoria glared at him and turned her head away and was able to speak again. “I have plenty to say about it actually and I don’t appreciate you stalking me.”

“Shame,” Malfoy snarled cruelly. “Because I enjoy that look on your face when I startle you in just the right way. Too bad that you and your family won’t be able to gain a bit more importance in society after that little stunt you and your siblings pulled earlier,” he reminded, coming to the point of the matter again.

Astoria glared up at him hatefully. “What are you going to do? Spread lies about my family just because you’re a petty brat?” she asked abruptly.

A smile carried over his face and he kissed her tenderly. “You’re smarter than you look,”

“And you’re as ignorant as ever!” Astoria snarled, angling her head away. “How can you so callously ruin lives that way? Doesn’t anything matter to you?” she demanded.

“I don’t ruin lives, I clean up messes that taint my home. Why that’s wrong, I’ll never be able to understand,” Malfoy said with a weary, dramatic sigh. “And I don’t appreciate your smart mouth Greengrass, I’d advise you to be rid of it.”

Astoria was enraged and for a moment she thought that she saw red but then had to take deep, soothing breaths that delighted him. “You’re threatening to ruin my family, that’s not something to be proud of you ungrateful git.” Before he could say anything else she said viciously, “and I’m sorry Malfoy but my smart ass mouth is all part of my charm. Take it or leave it,” she snarled.

“I’ll take something from you, Greengrass.” Malfoy snarled back, until her cheeks were pink and she could barely breathe. “If I don’t ruin your family by adding a few, slight rumors here and there, you owe me.”

“I owe you what exactly?” Astoria whispered back.

Malfoy seemed to consider it. “You despise purebloods, don’t you?” Astoria didn’t even have to answer him and he smiled pleasurably, the brush of his lips causing fire on her own. “I’m going to tie you to me, Greengrass. I’m going to make you fall in love with me and then I’m going to ruin you.”

Astoria couldn’t believe what he was saying. In exchange for keeping her family safe in the pureblood society, Draco Malfoy wanted her to be his girlfriend? That was his favor? A laugh bubbled in her chest and she couldn’t contain it, “Is that the best you can do, Malfoy? You want me to be your _girlfriend_?”

“Whoever said anything about you being my girlfriend?” Malfoy asked her snidely.

“I’m not going to sleep with you.” Astoria replied icily. “You’ll never, ever hear me begging, whimpering or sighing for more so get your stinking hands off of me, _pureblood_ ,” she commanded.

The force of her rejection and the boldness of what she might have just done to her family startled them both. Malfoy released her in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard, “I’m offering you something that can change your life Greengrass and you’re telling me _no_?” he asked furiously.

“I am,” Astoria said tightly.

“Do you know what you have just done to your family? Just a few little rumors here and there about that sister and brother of yours can get you booted out of every party, every social calling,” Malfoy murmured while yanking her head to his again so that they could stare each other down.

Defiance radiated from her. “I’m my father’s daughter Malfoy and I was told never to get on my hands and knees for anyone beneath me.” She omitted the fact that it only became necessary when there was information that needed to be stolen but Astoria didn’t intend on using her lack of feminine charm to woo Malfoy into a sense of foolishness.

For a moment or two, Astoria was sure that Malfoy was going to hit her. His grip on her upper arm and chin was starting to hurt her, “…My God,” he whispered instead, his voice sounding harsh and a bit of a flush coming into his cheeks, “you fascinate me.”

“You’re mental,” Astoria replied in a terrified whisper, wondering what she had done to have been thrust into such a horrible fate.

Malfoy nodded savagely, as if he couldn’t understand it himself. “Greengrass, I’m going to devour you.” He said firmly and Astoria struggled in his grasp, “and when I’m done with you—” Astoria tried to reel away but he was whispering lurid, erotic things into her ear and she felt her jaw dropping and her knees going weak.

Apparently there were things that she didn’t understand and by the time that he pulled away, looking as if he had ran a mile, Astoria couldn’t speak properly. “…Y-you disgust me,” she said eventually even as her cheeks flamed.

Malfoy smiled against her cheek and she felt the tip of his tongue on her skin. “Sure I do, Greengrass. You can try and pretend that you hate me but I’m no fool, I can offer you much more than anyone else can, be aware of that the next time you turn so red.”

“I’m not red!” Astoria denied furiously, trying to get away.

Malfoy chuckled and he sounded teasing. “I can prove it for you, sweet.”

Astoria wished that he wouldn’t sound so bloody pleased with himself and she swallowed hard and heard him crooning something against her skin. It sounded like a song but she was too disturbed to really note that he had a nice voice for a devil, “No thanks, Malfoy.”

There was a moment where he was silent, his humming ceasing immediately before he barked a laugh, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his mouth against hers. Stunned, she struggled but he kissed her so deeply that it was useless to escape him and for just a second her entire body was thrust into delight, “Sorry to break up this intimate moment,” someone said then.

Interrupted, Malfoy released her and smiled smugly into her face as she tried to gather her breathing. Blaise Zabini had stumbled upon them and Astoria turned around and saw that he had been caught unawares as well, “What is it?” Malfoy asked meanly, his eyes glowing.

“I was contemplating my own death when I recalled that I had to stay here for a few more hours and I happened to hear your mother asking where you were. If you’d rather I tell her that you were caught snogging poor Ms. Greengrass, I’d advise you to get into the dining hall,” Zabini said in a bored, cultured rush of air that was almost amusing.

Astoria would have laughed any other time but she was shaking from her head to her toes. “T-thank you,” she choked after Malfoy gave her a promising look before winking at her and striding off, hands in his pockets.

Zabini shrugged and when she stumbled up to him, explanations on the tip of her tongue, he waved them away. “I don’t need to hear them, Greengrass.” His voice was tight, “despite your words you seemed unable to hide your fascination,” sarcasm dripped like rain from his tongue.

“I didn’t ask him to kiss me at all, Zabini. He was _threatening_ me,” Astoria snarled at him, feeling her cheeks going red at the things he had whispered in her ear.

“I’m sure he was,” Zabini replied dryly as he sent a pitying look her way, his lips set in a very thin line that made him look like an old man. Astoria glared at him as they walked the rest of the way in silence, his entire face set in a sort of blank mask, she didn’t know why it mattered what he thought of her but she felt very ashamed for having Malfoy’s lips against her own. “ _Purebloods_ ,” she sneered. The world would be better off without them.

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think!


	3. Traitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria is still feeling uncomfortable from Malfoy's kiss but Emily gives her some rather dangerous advice on how to fix the problem. When dinner continues and Draco imagines having her for his own, the dinner is thrown into a bit of shock when Blaise Zabini makes a choice and shows his true colors.

Astoria’s skin still tingled long after she had promptly wiped off the remains of Malfoy’s sensual kiss with her handkerchief, her fingers shaking just a bit. Her reaction to him required further thought but she tried to tell herself that the shock and the fact that he had frightened and angered her had brought on the moment of complete and total weakness.

Of course, that wouldn’t explain how easy it had been for him to bring about such a delightful sensation in her body but she was willing to overlook that and put it in the back of her mind because she would not fall into desire. It was foolish to think that anything could grow between herself and a pureblood such as Malfoy or anyone else in the dining room as they all ate together, her family of course being close to the end of the table.

Astoria had no interest to marry a pureblood and become thrust into an unhappy marriage to restore the family’s finances. She knew that it gave them protection from danger for all of them, but the thought sent her into a panic, how could she ever be happy with such a life? Filled with nothing but what might have been if she had done as she pleased? Why did her parents have to put so much pressure on the three of them to attend to their own needs? Her father’s business would never cease so long as he hated, deceived and kept his secrets from his fellow purebloods. Astoria felt, not for the first time, intense bitterness over the arrangement.

Scorpious and Emily received assignments from broken wizards and witches that insisted that some pureblood had done them terribly wrong and that the only solution was for revenge. Which her family excelled at supremely. Some of the assignments, some of the people that they hunted and sometimes disposed of were very dangerous and Astoria had seen both of her siblings in dire straits, Emily having been abducted as collateral, Scorpious with his scars. It angered her that their parents went to such lengths to soothe a client’s wounds. But Astoria knew that her father merely wanted to enjoy the suffering, the pain and the humiliation to make the hole in his heart fill.

So much had transpired between him and many of the purebloods in this room but Astoria had no feelings of doubt and virtually no moral center when it came to revenge, she only despised having her own life being tangled in with it. An unhappy future awaited her with a sour faced pureblood and Astoria sat through most of her meal thinking and brooding unhappily about it all and her father’s work. She kept wondering if he could somehow learn to read her more. Her father loved her very much of course but he tended not to appreciate her rather radical views on the War, Muggles and other things. That had always bothered her a bit, knowing that she and Scorpious were the odd balls in the family.

Emily kept her feelings muted but Astoria knew more from knowing her so well that she could care less about Muggles so long as she got a new pair of kid gloves or a ribbon or two. She had never disliked her more for it. But it was the way that they had all been raised and while Astoria was truly the only half-blood in the house, they never mentioned her other side. The dirty blood or how it had come to be that she was what she was.

Those things were not to be spoken of, Astoria knew the full truth of course but they never discussed them out in the open. Holding in the secrets were what the Greengrass family did best after all, her father hadn’t been the creator of the way that they ran their family, from as far as she knew.

The business and their hatred for purebloods had gone on since Astoria’s great-grandfather, when the family’s fortune had started to fade. It was a tad petty of course but there were other, darker things in the family history that made the business somewhat necessary, like the air in her lungs. Their way of life would be hard to let go, no matter how often she dreamt it would end...there would be no more blood on the floors, no more seeing Scorpious covered in scars. Emily wouldn't have to work herself so hard and she wouldn’t have to be hidden and Astoria inhaled a bit and thought that going back to Hogwarts would not be a pleasant affair.

She had never liked school much and she hadn’t appreciated being stuck in a private dorm in the east of the school, all alone for her protection, for her family’s protection. It was why she had no friends, no real concerns for her future because once she turned twenty, her father had hinted that she could become like Emily. A temptress and a liar and whatever Astoria had dreamt of being meant nothing and she often worried that she were sinking further and further into a hole of nothing. Gently, she tried to wipe at the well of tears that were welling in her eyes and chanced a glance at the head of the table and saw that she was being watched.

Astoria’s mind went into a bolt of shock and suspicion as Blaise Zabini studied her curiously, apparently not finding it peculiar that he had been caught. “I really think that he’s quite all right, Stori.” Emily said from beside her.

“He’s a _pureblood_ ,” Astoria whispered back while her sister looked down at Zabini as well, her face a mixture of curiosity and slyness. “And he’s odd.”

“But he did look after you when you fainted, Stori. You can’t be so ungrateful,” Emily replied sharply as she looked at her. “You should apologize for calling him a filthy you-know-what.”

Astoria didn’t want to but she knew that it would be the right thing to do to put him off their scent, though she had a feeling that Zabini found her curious. And not in a flattering way, “…Emily, do you promise not to tell Scorpious something?”

Emily was instantly intrigued and she turned her jade green eyes to her violet ones curiously. “Whatever happened in that room with Malfoy, Stori? Don’t tell me he _hurt_ you?” she asked angrily, her cheeks turning pink with annoyance.

She may enjoy parties and fine gentleman but Emily was just as overprotective of Astoria as Scorpious and it did not bode well for anyone involved. “No, Emily. Keep your voice down!” she cried.

Scorpious was seated a few seats down with their parents and a round of their acquaintances, though Astoria knew that they had planned this. One of their friends had three daughters and they were all very cute girls, though her older brother was looking as if he were slowly, painfully dying as they engaged him in flirtatious conversation. “Oh, he’s too busy trying not to vomit. Honestly, you two have no fun!” Emily said happily.

Astoria sighed and rolled her eyes a bit before looking around to make sure that they weren’t being overheard. No one was paying them any attention and she whispered to her sister, “Malfoy kissed me, Emily. A while before dinner started.”

Emily had been sipping her wine but she choked just a bit and politely tapped at the corners of her mouth. “No!” she said and Astoria wasn’t sure if she were surprised or upset, “no wonder the foul git looks so proud of himself.”

Astoria took her words with a bit of relief because if he had been some other pureblood flop, she might have been delighted. “I didn’t ask for it, either.” She muttered while looking down at Malfoy with her sister as casually as they could.

He was sitting with the other members of the game, Parkinson on his left and Zabini ironically on his right. It was more than apparent that the other boy loathed him but Malfoy ignored him and spoke to the girl at his side, a smug grin on his face that made her want to ram her wand into his eye, “Was it a good kiss?” Emily asked in surprise. “He looks rather enchanted and I know it has nothing to do with Ms. Pug beside him.”

Astoria giggled and nudged her playfully in the arm until she grinned teasingly at her. “I’m not sure if it was a good kiss or not. He just sort of rammed his lips on mine,” and had just been getting started when they’d been interrupted. “But it was obvious that he’d wanted to do it for some time, he’s quite mad.”

Emily looked very surprised by this but she caught onto her tone and gave her a tender smile that made Astoria frown at her. “Oh, Stori, it’s nothing to be so ashamed of. I know that you detest purebloods as strongly as Scorpious does but a kiss from a boy isn’t anything to be so upset over, you’ll get many more and eventually one from someone you care for.”

“It’s _Malfoy_ , I loathe him and I wish that he would leave me alone but he’s been stalking me since we were eleven!” Astoria snapped angrily and Emily grinned slyly at her. “Oh, Emily, don’t even begin to go on about how in love with me he is. You are such a ridiculous romantic,”

Emily laughed a bit and smiled fondly down at her until Astoria gave her a dark look that made her raise her brows. “Was it really so terrible?” she whispered.

Astoria couldn’t lie to her sister and she shook her head in a jerky sort of motion that made her feel sick. “No,” she admitted reluctantly. “But why did it have to be him? And dad plans on destroying his family so I felt especially revolted.”

“Daddy does have some plans on getting his father into the gutter one way or another but I despise working with those Order members. They’re so high and proud,” Emily said with an eye roll and Astoria didn’t necessarily agree with her on that.

The Order of the Phoenix consisted of people who were bent on fighting and destroying the Dark Lord and bringing his Death Eaters to justice. Their father had worked alongside them for a few assignments here and there, trying to give himself a better image after their mother had expressed concerns but doing things by the law did not interest him. Sly and dirty was the Greengrass motto and Astoria felt just the tad bit of shame and embarrassment at knowing that her father was the most stubborn person in the world.

And if she, his daughter, turned against the business, she would suffer. Not that her father would kill her but Astoria knew that he would be very disappointed in her if he found out Muggle oriented she was and how much she longed to make a difference and have her own life, one not steeped in lies. “They’re quite all right. They helped Dad for a while with a few cases but you know how he is when he’s being told how to run his business.”

“Scorpious gets that spark of stubbornness from him.” Emily said while she nodded in agreement and cut up a slice of their dessert, some sort of fluffy white cake. Astoria hadn’t noticed that their meals had been whisked away by the servants, “but Stori, darling, you don’t have to force yourself into any relationship with anyone in this room if you don’t want to. Only, I’d like you to try and find someone at least, I worry.”

Astoria stared at her for a moment but she nodded and patted her hand gently and received a bit of a squeeze. “I’m fine, Emily. But I don’t know what to do about Malfoy, I don’t think that he’ll stop stalking me, he’s already suspicious about everything we do.”

“Then I suppose he’ll have to be distracted. Why not ask that charming Zabini boy for dinner sometime and let the word spread that you’re courting? A spoiled brat like Malfoy might be so distracted by the fact that you don’t want him that he might leave our secrets to themselves.” Emily said slyly and Astoria swallowed at her sister’s nerve, because it was a rather dangerous plan.

Malfoy would do something foul to her if she did something so rude and that thought caused Astoria’s lips to twitch wryly. He would find it the most disgusting insult if she went for Zabini or anyone else when he had enough arrogance to drown them all in, which was apparently supposed to interest her instead of do the opposite, “Zabini would never do something that bold.”

Emily pursed her lips and then nudged her in the arm a bit. “So you say but who does he have his eye on right now, dear?” she whispered cunningly.

Astoria happened to look and was surprised to see that her sister was right and that Zabini was looking at her again. There wasn’t a smile on his face though and she shot him a challenging look and received a wink in return that caused a wild blush to break out over her cheeks, “Purebloods,” she snapped to Emily as she turned away. “I’m _not_ interested.”

“For now,” Emily teased and Astoria stuffed a bit of cake into her mouth and was unable to say anything more.

…….

Half and Half was blushing. Draco was unable not to notice this because he had been covertly scanning her throughout the entire meal. He had been wistfully drinking her in and running his tongue over his lower lip to preserve her taste just for a while longer. He wasn’t sure why she had rejected him. What had disgusted her so deeply with what he had offered her? And why wasn’t she thinking of her family’s well-being? Regardless, Draco found her to be the most fascinating woman on the planet.

And he wanted her.

Not just for a quick moment in his bedroom or in some corner, he wanted moments spent everywhere and anywhere with her, the only sounds being their breathing—her sighs. These thoughts should have alarmed him at some point and cause a bit of a chill to descend to his skin but he found that the longer he thought about it, the more he craved. And it wasn’t merely because she was pretty. Or that that green gown of hers displayed what might be the most delicious body underneath layers of satin and silk but there was something else…she had steel. A woman like her, with no grace or social standing and not to mention finances had told him no for the first time in his life, it aroused him to no end and made him want to corner her and kiss her again, make her say _please_.

The image formed a smile over his mouth and he thought of how easy it would be for him to convince her. Becoming what he wanted her to be would be the only way for her to survive, Draco could ruin her little pauper family if he chose to. With the right rumors here and there they could be shunned forever so she really had no choice but to give in, let him run his tongue right between her— “Blaise, you look amused. Some lucky girl catch your eye, dear?” it was Blaise’s mother speaking.

Draco was forced out of his thoughts to look across at Helena Zabini and he felt that same amount of pity and curiosity at the sight of her. She was a lovely woman of course but she had a certain frailty about her that made one ponder if she were ill, “No, Mother,” Blaise said wearily.

“I could have sworn that you had just _winked_ at someone!” his mother said irritably and Draco was aware that he had a burst of suspicion at the thought of Blaise looking at Half and Half. “What am I to do with you? All the pretty young ladies will be taken if you don’t make a move and marry!”

Blaise hadn’t shown any interest in getting married and Draco couldn’t blame him for it when marrying was the most horrendous decision that had ever been thought of. “Mother, the day I marry will be the day that the sky turns green.”

“Don’t be so ridiculous, Blaise!” his mother chastised sharply while setting her knife and fork down. Draco had a feeling that they had had this conversation before. “What about that lovely Travers girl?”

Draco snorted with laughter into his cup because Samantha was the loosest girl that he knew and Pansy nudged him sharply in the ribs. He reached down and grabbed her wrist gently and squeezed, which made her flush with pleasure, they had dated for a long time during fifth year and she still had her hopes but he was no longer interested, “She’s going to bite him for sure later on,” he whispered in her ear.

Pansy laughed. “Maybe he’s thinking of taking a bite out of Half and Half instead. I still can’t believe that he was taking up for her! The nerve, I swear, he’s just been so strange since he broke up with his girlfriend.”

“He had a girlfriend?” Draco whispered back while trying not to think of how easy and tempting it would be to kill Blaise if he touched his prey. “I wasn’t aware of _that_ sad fact.”

“You don’t remember Tricia Rowle? She’s a year younger than us, the same age as that Weasley girl that he thought was cute.” Pansy said with a disgusted eye roll and Draco was aware that Blaise was still chatting forcefully with his mother.

Draco thought of Patricia Rowle, whom everyone just called either Patty or Tricia since they had all been at Hogwarts together with a frown. She was a talkative, flighty little thing and she had a lot of curly blonde hair, freckles and a gap between her two front teeth that made her look like a demented mouse of some kind, “He was dating that broom wreck?” he asked in surprise.

Blaise was known far and wide as being quite the snob, he rarely even looked at ugly women and he found this completely stunning. “They met during the Yule Ball when she went with Theo’s older brother Jeremy, it was big news.” Pansy said with a laugh while giving him a look. “It was quite the shock for me and the others but they did date up until last term.”

“So what happened?” Draco asked and then he whispered in her ear. “Did she realize that he was a complete bore?” and Pansy gave him a playful look. “Tell me, it has to be funny.”

Pansy looked a bit uncomfortable but he supposed that it was only because Blaise was so close to her; he had never seen her give a care about who she gossiped about. “She cheated on him actually. Samantha and I found out from her that she got drunk and you know how that is— but the guy won’t have anything to do with her.”

Draco snorted with cruel laughter and asked meanly. “Who was the bloke?”

Pansy shrugged. “She either didn’t remember or she didn’t know. Fact is that Blaise is in a terrible temper about it. But taking up for Half and Half? I don’t know what is going on in his mind, he must be temporarily bonkers.”

Draco laughed again but turned back to his dessert and took his hand from her wrist and saw her frown from the corner of his eye. It wouldn’t do to lead her on into thinking that he wanted to start things up again when there was no way in hell that he would allow himself to be tortured for a second time, “Half and Half, that stinking breed.”

“You’re not really going to kiss her _are_ you, Draco?” Pansy hissed into his ear.

Draco’s parents were talking to Helena Zabini now to spare her son from her wrath and he smirked a bit. His father looked as confused by her as he felt and his mother had the utmost pity for her so she was being abnormally kind, “I’ll do a bit more than kiss her, just to teach her a lesson for running her smart mouth.” He said in a threatening whisper.

Pansy looked a bit startled but then pleased as she probably assumed that he would wring the girl’s neck. That was far from his mind however but she didn’t need to know that, “She’s looking at you right now, of all the nerve!” she said while nudging him painfully in the ribs.

Draco gave her a look but angled his head down a bit to see that Emily Greengrass was whispering to her sister again, giggling. Half and Half was blushing furiously but he felt a burst of pleasure at the sight before he noted that she wasn’t looking at him, “…She’s not looking at me. Apparently Blaise has found himself an eager breed,” he muttered.

He had probably said this a bit too loudly because Blaise stopped stabbing into his cake to angle his head at him darkly. “What was that, Draco? I’m sorry, you may have to speak up so that your insult can sink in clearer,” he said kindly.

Draco frowned furiously but his mother was giving them a curious look so he hastily smiled and muttered from the side of his mouth. “Do you have more than one issue tonight, Blaise? Aside from your usual charm?”

“I don’t have charm,” Blaise said and this was very true. “But I never asked or wanted to come to this blasted party in the first place. What’s got you in such a temper?” he asked curiously and in a very mean way.

Draco glared at him and he jerked his head a bit to dismiss him but Blaise was looking down at Half and Half, who fixated him without even trying. She was saying something to her sister and frowning a bit but she had never looked more adorable for it, “Nothing that concerns you.”

Blaise pursed his lips a bit before eating the remnants of his cake, being very partial to sweets like the inner child that Draco doubted he had ever been. “What a pretty little thing Ms. Greengrass is. I may have to become further acquainted, she does owe me an apology,” he said more to himself than to Draco, though there was a sneer in his voice.

“Keep your hands to yourself and find your own breed.” Draco hissed warningly to him but Blaise was looking down at Half and Half still, as if he found her troubling. “Did you hear me or not?” he demanded.

Blaise snapped out of his thoughts and then heaved a weary sort of sigh. “I heard you the first time, Draco. But it doesn’t change my mind,” he said with an expressionless look in his direction.

Draco’s fingers itched towards his dinner knife but his father stood up just then and tapped his wine glass and whatever conversation had been going on, ceased. “I would like to thank you all for honoring me in my home to celebrate the second rise of the Dark Lord. Our hopes have been realized as we lead ourselves into a better Wizarding world, the Mudblood menace once more on the verge of becoming eradicated and forced back into the ground from whence it came.”

The guests were thrilled by this news and Draco sat up a bit straighter in his chair while Blaise discreetly rolled his eyes and fingered with his wine glass. “My family and I could not be more proud to have him in our home and shall stand by his decisions on this War until our victory. Now,” his father said while holding up his glass. “To the Dark Lord and to Harry Potter’s demise,”

Guests stood up all around, chairs were pushed back and glasses were raised to the ceiling and catching on the lantern light. Draco was brimming with pride at the honor but Blaise was still sitting stubbornly in his seat and he hissed, “Stand, you bloody fool.”

Instead, Blaise Zabini sat exactly where he was before rising, setting his fork down and walking calmly from the dining hall. A gasp issued from many lips and someone started whispering, the sound echoing like flies over dead flesh, “What on earth has he just done?” Pansy cried to him, eyes wide.

Draco’s mouth had fallen open at his nerve and Helena Zabini burst into tears and crumbled into her seat. The dinner was officially over and his mother calmly told everyone to resume the remainder of their meal before retiring for more entertainment, the men to the billiards room and the women to various sewing or watercolor areas.

That bastard had just ruined one of the most important moments in his father’s life and Draco felt his fingers shaking with anger and hate for him. Blaise Zabini had just dramatically shown his true colors, displaying outright that he was a traitor and no supporter of the Dark Lord, the Mudblood problem and the thrill of Harry Potter’s eventual destruction.

Whispers and gossip was filtering through and Draco felt his ears burning with embarrassment as his father tried to compose himself as best he could, his mother going to console Helena Zabini along with a few other brave women. As he was able to lower his glass, this of course not being filled with wine at all but ginger ale (His mother tended to keep her eyes on him a bit too often at dinner, though his father hardly cared) he caught sight of Half and Half again.

Emily Greengrass was glaring at that brother of theirs as his lips twitched a bit over the sickening silence and their parents were burning warning looks into his face. But Half and Half had a look on her face that he had never seen before and it caused a sting to blossom into his stomach.

She looked impressed. Astoria Greengrass looked impressed by what Blaise had done. No amount of riches amazed her, the thought of Draco touching her caused her nothing but disgust but the sight of that stinking blood-traitor had caused a glow to her entire face. As if she had come alive on the inside. Draco glowered and felt for the first time in his life, pure hot jealousy and then a hatred for them both. Traitors that were going to be thrown, mauled and booted out of his home didn’t deserve to live.

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Hope you're enjoying the first three chapters, feel free to let me know what you think about all of these crazy characters.


	4. A Force of Wills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria is fascinated by Blaise Zabini but while that is unnerving enough on its own, she must realize her place and so she reluctantly returns to join in on Malfoy's game. When her nemisis bargains for her, once again and she somehow manages to escape, she finds herself running and later hiding in a pantry with the least likely person she would have ever thought would aid her. The night does not go as planned and her own will is tested as Malfoy becomes more determined than ever to have her for his own.

A parade of wild horses could have run through the dining hall at exactly that moment and no one would have heard them. Save for a rather distracted guest. The silence was deafening and humiliating for the Malfoy family, who stood like pretty blonde statues up at the head of the table. Astoria was unable to hold any amount of pity for them, as she was facing her own tumbling emotions.

Blaise Zabini had effectively fascinated her. She was envious of his courage but rather impressed that he had done something so bold and right at a moment when the smugness had been at its crucial moment and if she hadn’t been who she was, she would have smiled. Scorpious was still grinning, though by now he had made it appear as if he were grimacing with anger and Astoria sent him a bit of a wink before lowering her cup of ginger ale with steady hands. “My God, what on earth are they going to do now?” Emily whispered to her.

Astoria had no answer for her and Lucius Malfoy somehow managed to find himself and say with a false smile. “I suppose one of our young guests was quite overwhelmed. Please make your ways to the billiard or sewing rooms for more entertainment after finishing your meal,” he said and she had never heard such ferocity.

The guests wouldn’t dare defy him. Many of them quite forgot about their dessert and followed Mr. Malfoy’s advice about leaving as soon as possible, some of them recalling that Mrs. Malfoy had given the same command, though hers had been a tad kinder. Fear of Mr. Malfoy was making chairs scrape back and utensils being placed back down and she gnawed on her lower lip for a second or two before watching several guests leave the dining hall, buzzing with gossip.

Helena Zabini was still sobbing into her chair, Mrs. Malfoy having abandoned her quite some time ago to scrape up her ego, “You don’t think that they’ll hurt him, do you?”

Astoria whispered to her sister. Emily couldn’t answer her but she tried to smile as reassuringly as she could before they walked out of the dining hall, each to their own interests. It would be less suspicious if they pretended as normal and did as Mr. Malfoy had told them but Astoria was nervous about going into a room full of ravenous purebloods. “You are not going back into that room.” Scorpious declared for her as he came up.

Their parents were conversing quietly some feet away but Astoria knew that their father would not be swayed, even by his wife’s concerns. He had come here tonight for information and he would not give up on it no matter how uneasy his wife became, “But I have to or they’ll really become suspicious.” Astoria said.

Scorpious glowered down at her sternly but Astoria gave him a firm look and he simply inhaled in annoyance. “I don’t like the thought of you going back into a room with them, Stori!”

Astoria tried to put a reassuring hand on his arm but he drew away and she said firmly. “I have to or else they’ll all think that we’re traitors and we can’t have them becoming suspicious.” She reminded angrily and he flushed. “Please, Scorpious. I know what to do if I’m in danger but I have no intention of getting Malfoy into a fit.”

But he would have no issue with upsetting her to make himself feel better and Astoria inhaled irritably before Scorpious offered his arm for her. “Fine,” he grunted. “But if he does something to you, anything at all, I want to know about it so I can boil him.”

Emily sent her a look from under her lashes and Astoria swallowed hard and tried not to look at her. “I’m going to see if I can find something to do.” Scorpious shot her a look and she blushed, “oh, really? I have an assignment here to get to know before we dispose of him, one Mr. Joseph Grant…”

This was why she couldn’t be bothered with distracting Malfoy and Astoria had forgotten all about it really. They never talked about their assignments to her often because she was not involved but Astoria heard snippets here and there but could not imagine her sister seducing Malfoy, it sickened her to no end, “Be careful, Emily.” Astoria said tightly.

“I will, don’t you worry about me, dear.” Emily said with a grin as she hugged them both loosely before wandering off with her hips swaying. It caught quite a bit attention from some pureblood boys and Astoria watched as one of her friends rushed up to her with news, the girl practically bouncing with it and she felt another bit of jealousy.

She didn’t know what it was like to have a friend.

Scorpious took in her face and then said with a friendly grin, “Stori, how about you come along with me sometime before school and see Diana again? She told me that she’s gotten a new batch of Muggle novels for you,” he whispered to her as they started walking to Malfoy’s den.

Their father and mother happened to spot them and Astoria saw their mother give them one more warning look before they pressed onward. Apparently they were going somewhere to sit with the other parents, or perhaps parting ways, her father to the billiards room and her mother to the sewing room for disgusting gossip. “I’d like that. It’d be nice to get away for a while,” Astoria said with a nod.

“I’ll try to arrange a moment. With the bastards at the Ministry rounding up traitors and Muggles by the minute, I have to be as careful as I can,” Scorpious said worriedly and she gave him a supportive look until he grinned. “Stori, when this mess is all over, you’ll have to move in with me and Diana, I would love it.”

Astoria was very happy that he would ask her but they both knew that their father’s business would never be over so long as he was filled with so much hatred. A silence fell between them that only increased as they walked the rest of the way towards Malfoy’s lounge and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as Scorpious opened the door.

“Back again for more?” a dark voice called as they walked further into the room.

A chill descended onto her skin but Astoria ignored it and watched as Draco Malfoy leaned away from the conversation that he had been having, his entire form stiff and rippling with tension. The Bulstrode sisters were still there, as were Travers, Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore Nott but Astoria saw no remnants of Zabini’s mangled body in the fireplace. “Bite me, Malfoy,” she answered distractedly. For a moment it looked as if he would say something back but with Scorpious emanating such a strong air of doom, he refused to speak.

“Can you handle yourself?” her brother whispered in her ear and Astoria gave him a confident smile that she didn’t completely feel.

Nodding at her and then kissing her cheek, Scorpious left the room but the air of retaliation and fright that he had brought in with them stayed. Astoria felt quite safe and knew without testing her fate that she couldn’t go any further in the room without being hexed so she wandered aimlessly to one of the mahogany bookcases on the wall. She had never seen anyone reading a book here but a lot of them appeared old, perhaps older than Malfoy and both of his parents combined. The thought of what they contained sparked her interest and she was unable to resist the temptation, “Touch my things and I’ll have to cut off your fingers, Half and Half,” Malfoy snarled and she wasn’t sure why, but his voice sounded oddly nervous.

Astoria wondered if he had some sort of dirty picture book here and snorted a bit, not finding it all too strange. “You don’t have the guts or the stomach for it, Malfoy. It’s a dirty business,” she remarked calmly and that caused a slight ripple among the group.

“And what would you know about chopping off fingers?” Malfoy asked nastily.

That was something that she wouldn’t be able to answer but she had heard Scorpious doing the act quite a few times at home. Emily and she often had to clean up the mess, “If you don’t want to find out, then don’t ask, Malfoy.”

“Your smart mouth is growing tiresome, Half and Half!” Parkinson cried hotly and Astoria glanced back at her and watched her recoil a bit. Whatever she had seen in her eyes was not at all pleasant, “you’re nearly as bad as Blaise!”

“Pansy!” Mary Bultsrode hissed warningly.

Parkinson made a strange sound and apologized to Malfoy but Astoria was distracted by the thick tomes of leather bound books, some so old that the pages could turn into dust if she touched them. She casually reached up to grab a book at random but saw from the corner of her eye that this room full of Slytherins was about to burst.

Malfoy didn’t say anything else to her but she could feel the burn of his eye in the back of her neck and she firmly ignored him. The tension in the room was so thick that it made it hard to breathe, “Do you know where Blaise sleazed off to?” he snapped at someone.

“No, mate. Not a clue,” Nott replied with a nervous laugh. Astoria could imagine him toying with the glass of wine, his eerie brown eyes dull and devoid of kindness, “What do you suppose came over him?”

“I don’t know or care but I’m going to kill him.” Malfoy replied tightly and Astoria felt a shiver but wondered where Zabini must have hidden if they hadn’t found him. “He doesn’t know how to Disapparate properly, so he _has_ to be here.”

“But even if he is, you can’t—” Travers began.

Malfoy must have given her a burning look because she fell silent as he went on in a tense rage that sounded as if it were ripped from his bowels. “That bastard! I don’t care what his problem is but how dare he do something like that to me!”

Nott spoke up then and said in an anxious way. “I heard that he’s going to go back to Hogwarts to teach as Potions teacher. And there was something about a girl—”

“I don’t give a damn about his trivial fortune or any foolish girl that he was supposedly dating!” Malfoy snapped furiously and Astoria found this to be a bit startling. She couldn’t imagine Zabini with anyone, let alone a girl that he actually liked, “How dare he even do something like that here of all places!” Malfoy cried.

Parkinson said while Astoria opened a book of poems. It was bound in red leather and looked as if it had been hand written, the ink and pages a bit newer than she had expected, “He’s probably just acting out, that’s all. His poor mother will be in tears for the rest of the night!”

“What are your parents going to do about him, Draco?” Millicent Bulstrode asked him and Astoria could imagine her ugly face poised for delight, her much prettier sister tilting her head.

“I’m not sure. They’ve given us no trouble in the past but if we can get an answer out of Blaise for his actions and perhaps _if_ I don’t kill him, Father might forgive him. But I won’t allow it, Mrs. Zabini is more than welcome if she chooses but her bastard of a son will never be allowed at my home again,” Malfoy said and this declaration seemed to fall on the others like law.

Astoria thought them all rather pathetic as she tried to lose herself in a first bit of poems from the book in her hands. The author called himself Wolfin and she supposed that the man had been undiscovered and as she read, she was aware that it was a shame, ““And my heart/Wild and untamed/ Desires nothing in this world but you/ Soul of my life/ Light in my smile”” she whispered, instantly enchanted.

Travers sounded as if she were pouting. “Isn’t that a bit rash, Draco?” she asked him and the crackling of the fire seemed to override her words a bit as if it too were furious, “I mean, perhaps he had too much wine.”

“Blaise doesn’t indulge in wine and he rarely ever drinks butterbeer.” Parkinson explained and she sounded rather irritated, “I’m sure he was just in a bad mood. He can’t mean anything by it, Draco, really! We’re in the middle of a war! Why would he do something so foolish?”

“Because he detests me, that’s why. He’s been asking for it all night, with his snide little comments here and there, protecting the _breed_ ,” Malfoy said loudly and Astoria’s head shot up and she glared darkly at him before returning to the book of poems. “My night is ruined!”

There was a long and ugly silence after that announcement but Astoria ignored them all anyway, her heart completely wrapped up with love for the poems before her eyes. ““My deepest wish/ Is for you/ Always for you/ My one and only dream/ As far as the eye can see”” she sighed. Whoever this person was had such a powerful heart and she couldn’t wait to tell her mother about them, she would be more than delighted, as she loved poetry.

Long moments passed and there was barely any conversation before Samantha Travers said in a rather loud and annoying way. “What a bore. Draco, can we still play without Blaise?”

Malfoy sounded annoyed and Astoria expected him to do something very cruel but instead, the temperature heated up. It was unsettling, “I suppose we could play after all, I’m in the mood for a bit of hunting myself. Nott, you take over for Blaise and go after Samantha.”

Nott sounded a bit annoyed but this, as she was not remotely who he had wanted. That illustrious honor belonged to Mary Bulstrode, “A-all right but do you really think that we should—”

“I’ll count to thirty ladies,” Malfoy interrupted and his voice was so cold that it made Astoria’s fingers start shaking and she pressed the book in her hands to her chest as if it could protect her. It would be unwise to stay in the same room for much longer, “do you all still have your pieces?”

Everyone might have nodded but Astoria was inching towards the door as discreetly as she could. She wouldn’t want Malfoy leaping at her and wrestling her to the floor, perhaps doing something far worse than kissing her. “I’d like them back after the game is over. I’ll give us all two hours at the most but when you’re done, come back here and do not get caught.” He warned.

There was an uncomfortable rippling from the others and Astoria swallowed hard and nearly tripped on her own dress to get out. “Where do you think you’re going, Half and Half?” Parkinson sneered loudly. “No need to look so eager!” she laughed.

Malfoy turned around and his grey eyes bored into her violet ones and she recoiled with terror and saw her life flashing before her eyes. He ran his tongue over his lower lip before he turned back to the others and said, “Go on, ladies. Find some place really interesting to hide, I’d like to work off some steam,” he murmured.

Astoria would have run for the door but the other girls were already walking out, the Bulstrode sisters looking at her with nasty grins while Samantha flipped her red hair over her shoulder. Parkinson gave her a sneer but frowned when she was flipped off in return for the expression, “Stinking breed,” she spat.

“Foul toad,” Astoria shot back. When the door closed after Parkinson decided to leave, her mouth gawping and her eyes flashing with anger, she decided to take her chances and flee. But her upper arm was gripped in a vise like grip almost instantly. “Malfoy, let me go!” she warned angrily.

“Go away, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle,” Malfoy said absently and his entire being was zeroed in on her so severely that Astoria felt a bit of herself fade away with terror. The other boys leaped up so quickly that Astoria was certain that they left a hole in the carpet.

None of them looked at her as they left, so full of cruelty that they wouldn’t think twice about helping her if they had to. Astoria swallowed hard and tried to yank from Malfoy’s grip but he wasn’t letting her go and she was seeing nothing but hate in his eyes. “You prat, get your hands off of me!”

“Make me, Half and Half. I’m not even remotely in the mood for this right now,” Malfoy hissed and Astoria was forced to look at him as he yanked her head up. His calloused fingers and thumb were like razors on her skin, “what I _am_ in a mood for can be helped along if you just cooperate with me.”

Astoria had never heard such arrogance in her life and she stared at him as if she couldn’t quite comprehend what sort of monster he was. “I don’t think so. My mind hasn’t changed one bit over what you offered me and I’m not going to change it now.”

Malfoy seemed to inhale her defiance like a heady perfume and Astoria realized with annoyance that he actually grew rather excited by it. Sensing that she was disturbed, he gentled his tone, “It won’t nearly be as bad as you’re pretending, sweet. I’m very good at what I do.”

Astoria flushed in embarrassment while she recalled all the nasty little things the girls in the powder room had said about him. “I’m sure you like to think that but I am not interested, Malfoy. I have never been interested!”

“You let me kiss you earlier—”

“You forced me to kiss you, you git!” Astoria shouted furiously and she let out a cry as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her unwillingly closer. The heat coming from him made her entire head swim, “and therefore the game is over!”

Malfoy’s lips twitched with dark amusement but he was running his eyes over her face, settling on her mouth before raking her throat. It caused her to pale considerably, “What’s it take to have you? What do you want?”

Astoria knew that he was offering her gifts to tickle her fancy and she swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say. “Nothing that you can offer me will help me change my mind.” She said fiercely.

“Sweet, I can give you anything you like. How about it?” Malfoy whispered softly and she felt her eyes going wide as he bent his head, lips barely touching hers, “I can get you into any play, any ballet or opera that you want, front row seats or the highest balcony.”

Astoria had never been to many plays or ballets and she had a certain fondness for opera but she frowned up at him. “No, Malfoy, I said—”

“All right,” Malfoy said with a bit of impatience as he started to recalculate, his eyes going from grey to a deep and penetrating blue. “What about rubies, darling? Diamonds, furs, perhaps a set of pearls?” he asked softly.

“I’ve never seen a ruby, I don’t own diamonds and I don’t like fur. Also, my mother is the only person who owns a set of pearls.” Astoria snapped up at him and his face turned into a mask of confusion and curiosity.

Malfoy took a moment to regain himself but when he did, his lips trailed over her jaw softly and in little bites that made her breath catch, which he seemed to note smugly. “What _do_ you like then?”

The question startled her and she briefly considered what she had always wanted. She wanted to be loved and not for the trivial things, but just to rally in her company, “Something that you couldn’t give me.” Astoria replied sharply.

Malfoy blinked in confusion. “Like what, exactly?”

He thought that she would tell him and that, after he got it for her, she would be all too pleased and would sweep into his arms. Astoria was no such fool, “Kindness, decency and respect.”

That was not at all what he had been expecting from her and he snorted with cruel laughter. “And why should I give you those things? Ours wouldn’t be anything but a physical relationship. Don’t tell me that underneath that prickly exterior you’re a _romantic_ , Greengrass! Pathetic,” he murmured.

Astoria felt frustrated tears burning in her eyes and she swallowed hard and tried to push him away from her. It was unsuccessful as his body was hard as steel, “I’m not pathetic! Just because _you’re_ a cold hearted monster and can’t provide a woman with real affection doesn’t mean that I’m the one that has an issue!”

Malfoy looked briefly thoughtful at this but she could see that his slight grip on his temper was about to snap in mere moments. His lust for her was the only thing that was keeping him from snapping her neck in two, “Why are women so foolish?” he whispered. “I’m not capable of something so dangerous, Greengrass. Once a woman sleazes her way into my heart, she’ll kill me.”

Astoria was a bit surprised by the cynicism in his tone and she wondered if he had been hurt or damaged somehow. The brief amount of pity she felt for him caused a ripple of unease to grip her, she should not be feeling sorry for Draco Malfoy, “Not all women are the same.”

“But all men are. The ones that foolishly claim to be in love are merely hiding their true nature until the woman gets nice and ripe before they take a bite out of her and leave her rotting,” Malfoy demonstrated his words by taking a gentle nip at her lower lip.

Astoria wondered if he were describing his father and underneath her embarrassment and fear of him, she was able to grasp that he hadn’t made these words up without reason. “I don’t want to be your plaything, Malfoy. Find someone else, like Parkinson—”

Malfoy recoiled from the mention of the girl and she watched his eyes narrow a little before he answered darkly. “The only thing Pansy has her eyes on is my fortune and the day I marry a girl like that, bent on only one thing, will be the day I give up on life.”

“But you only want me to s-sleep with!” Astoria shot back at him angrily.

“Yes, but I would never lie to you about it.” Malfoy said simply and that caused her to pause a little as she considered him. His arrogance was so deeply ingrained that it was pitying, “I wouldn’t lie to you about what I wanted and you wouldn’t lie to me about what you wanted. It’s a simple, clean arrangement. A girl like Pansy pretends and a girl like you knows. It’s what I like about you, actually,” he said unthinkingly.

Astoria was a bit unnerved that he actually liked something about her, though she wasn’t really certain what he meant by it. “Are you saying you admire me because I know what I want?”

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders distractedly as he ran his eyes over her throat before using one of his fingers to trail along her pulse. “Not precisely. You accept things the way that they are instead of forcing the issue, which can be both tiresome and unnecessary and it makes me curious to know what you’re like at home. Are you happy?”

“And why would that be important to you? I have a comfortable life!” Astoria cried as she tried to deny that she wasn’t completely as happy as she could have been.

Malfoy pursed his lips and she saw a flicker of something in his grey eyes that might have been concern for her and it made her breath catch. There was a human underneath his glamour after all and that frightened her more than anything, “Why not forget about it all? Come with me after the war is over, I could take you to Paris.”

Astoria had always longed for travel but it was a dream that she could never have in the state her family’s finances were in, and the lies they carried. “W-who says that I would like to go anywhere with you?” she sneered.

Malfoy smirked a bit, seeing through the hasty words and pressed his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear. Embarrassment flooded her as she thought that he would whisper more erotic fantasies and yet he said nothing but, “Imagine it, sweet. It’s not nearly as terrible as you’re making it out to be, we could go anywhere you desire. I could have you lying in silk sheets with nothing but a set of _my_ pearls around your neck.”

Astoria’s jaw dropped and her entire face turned so red that he actually laughed and pressed a few kisses to her mouth. It made her go numb with something she hadn’t wanted to ever feel from a pureblood and she forced her mouth away, “No! Stop—”

“No?” Malfoy murmured against her chin irritably. “I suppose I can tempt you with something else, you can pretend not to want it all you like.” He whispered pleasantly right before he bent his head and pressed his lips to her throat. “Be aware that you were asking for it.”

Horror slimed down her back and Astoria recoiled from him but he pulled her as close as she was able until she made the most dangerous decision of her life. Inhaling, she angled her face to his and he let out a soft sound of pleasure, his lips going to hers until—

“Bitch!” Malfoy gasped as he moved away, his eyes going wide with pain. Astoria stepped away from him, her knee stinging just a bit as she started making her escape, “I’ll catch you!” he promised madly. “I’ll catch you and you’d better pray that I don’t strangle you!”

Astoria ran as fast as she could from the room with her heart thumping and she briefly thought of going upstairs and then reconsidered. That would be the first place that he went if he didn’t find her hiding in a darkened corridor and she ran blindly down the hallway until the breath was robbed from her lungs and she had caused blisters on her toes. Cursing a bit and hearing the door to Malfoy’s lounge slamming shut, she looked wildly around for some sort of sanctuary. She saw a door to the end of the long, haunting hallway that was lit and clambering with noise and voices.

Relief sprang through her and she ran towards it and burst through the door to find that she had somehow gotten into the kitchens. She had caught the servants at a moment of peace. “Uhm, do you need something miss?” a girl asked hastily.

Astoria looked around and was once again struck by how backwards the Wizarding world was, she had an iron stove at home, along with an ice box. But Diana, Scorpious’s girlfriend had shown her so many interesting Muggle things, it was strange seeing that there was no such thing as a microwave or a refrigerator here and she said weakly. “I-I was just looking for somewhere to take a breather, if you don’t mind.”

They all stared at her as if she had gone mad. There were dirty plates soaring through the air, the sink filled to the brim with soapy water as the dishes washed themselves while a whole table was laden with vegetables, fruit and cakes. Large pieces of dried meat were hanging on hooks like carcasses, “Hiding from Malfoy?” someone asked just then.

Astoria looked around and saw Blaise Zabini coming from another side of the room, a slice of cake in his hands. He had apparently been loitering here the entire time, “What are _you_ doing here?” she demanded hastily.

“Eating. I’m very fond of cake,” Zabini replied calmly before stuffing the last bit of sweet into his mouth and being handed a napkin by a servant almost out of nowhere. He patted his mouth before flicking it absently at the servant, who vanished as quickly as they’d appeared, “what are _you_ doing in here?”

“I-I need somewhere to hide.” Astoria said as she heard distant footsteps. A bolt of terror went over her and she knew that contacting Scorpious would only lead to Malfoy being disemboweled, which could only cause their father to become furious.

Zabini snorted with laughter and she watched as he walked towards her before asking to one of the servants. “Would you mind allowing us into the pantry for a moment? I’m not trying to be a bother.”

Astoria wondered how often he had snuck into Malfoy’s kitchen because the servants seemed to be accustomed to him. They even looked a bit embarrassed that he was asking them for anything and she knew that they must have been treated very unfairly, “I couldn’t impose if you’re working—”

“It’s not a bother. We all hate that boy,” A girl said while she put a bowl of potatoes onto the table with a thump, her face set in a scowl. “You’re free to hide as long as you want.”

Astoria wasn’t sure what to say but Zabini appeared to know where to go and she awkwardly followed him. He went into the far back of the kitchen and waved to a door, it was oddly imposing and she asked suspiciously, “Why are you hiding in here with me?”

Zabini answered calmly. “Because if I see Malfoy, I might kill him and I’d rather not be bothered with the mess, if you must know.” He smiled. “Don’t worry Greengrass I no longer have an interest in hiking your dress up.”

The comment was said dryly but Astoria could hear his sneer and she felt her fingers inching towards the pocket of her dress. Stopping herself, she made certain not to touch him as she went to the door and opened it, surprised by how large it was on the inside. It could probably hold two of her bedrooms without any problem, “You’re the last thing I’m worried about.”

“Really?” Zabini asked calmly as he flicked his wand and created little balls of bright, silver light that hovered in the room, casting jars and dried goods in eerie shadow. The door closed a moment later as Astoria made herself comfortable on an upturned basket, her fingers smoothing out her dress and hoping that her mother didn’t notice the wrinkles later.

Astoria ignored him as spices invaded her nose and she saw many preserved goods here and there and racks of herbs and greens. Some of the items looked very exotic and she had no idea what some of them were used for and she dared not touch, “Do you come down here a lot?”

Zabini was looking at the shelves of goods and he snatched a jar of preserved peaches off of one and began opening it. “Not as often as I’d like. You may have noticed that I detest Malfoy as strongly as you do, or so I thought.” He said dryly after the lid clicked.

“What you saw was not me eagerly accepting Malfoy. He was offering me things that I had to refuse.” Astoria shot back and her cheeks heated at the look he was giving her. There was such a strong sense of doubt over him, “every other girl may find him to be the most fantastic creature on the face of the earth but I typically find human men more attractive.”

Zabini looked as if he might laugh but he was chewing and so the moment passed without him saying a word. Astoria ran her eyes over him in confusion, unable to understand him, “Would you like one?” he offered, holding the jar to her lazily, “they’re quite good.”

Astoria had never had one before so she stood and hesitantly approached him until he quirked his brow at her in annoyance. Frowning, she reached inside and took one plump slice of peach and eyed it curiously, “Isn’t this stealing?”

“Like they’d notice,” Zabini said with a shrug of his shoulders before she popped the treat into her mouth and chewed. It was like an explosion of delight in her mouth and her eyes widened in pleasured surprise, “I told you, quite good.”

Astoria chewed and swallowed for a while longer, savoring the delicious taste before she replied with a curt nod. “I’m surprised that you’re still here.”

Zabini allowed her to take one more slice of peach before helping himself and he held the fruit in his fingers delicately for a second or two before saying. “And why would you care?”

“I don’t care about _you_. I’m just surprised that you haven’t left.” Astoria said and her tone was rather sharp but there was something about him that was slightly irritating. She had a feeling that he was nitpicking at her on purpose, “Malfoy was talking about doing the most horrible things to you in his lounge.”

“Really? How kind of him,” Zabini muttered bitterly before eating his own fruit and licking a bit of the juice from his lips. Astoria frowned at him for a moment, “I could care less about what that spoiled brat said about me. I’ve got no interest in worming my way back in with that group.”

Astoria turned away from him for a moment to look at some of the other preserved goods and spotted more peaches among plum, lemons and various berries. “Why did you do it?” she asked while reaching up to touch the jar of one curiously.

Zabini plucked it down for her but she shook her head and he placed it back and said with a stiff smile. “Because I can and I felt like stirring things up a bit. It was growing rather stuffy in that dining hall, you must know what I mean since you appeared to be suffocating.”

Astoria was reminded quite vividly of the fact that he had been staring at her while she had ate and she gave him a dark look from under her lashes. “Why were you watching me?”

“I can’t help but think you odd, is all.” Zabini replied and the comment was ruder than she had anticipated and she glared at him, some icy retort at the tip of her tongue before he said, “and I find it refreshing. Of course, I may have misjudged you for your kiss with the prat—”

“That I didn’t want to happen, you mean. He cornered me after I came from the powder room and offered for me to be his plaything, an honor that I was only _dying_ to have,” Astoria snarled sarcastically and Zabini mockingly raised his brows.

“You’re not interested in getting the fine treatment like some of the other girls here? Not looking to weasel your way into a marriage?” Zabini asked her nastily and Astoria’s hand twitched towards her wand again but she reluctantly held off.

There was a slight silence that was only broken up as Zabini ate a few more peaches, offering her none and watching her fury play across her face in amusement. “I could say a few things about you; assume some unnerving actions that I’ve caught you doing and judge _you_ completely by them.” Astoria said helpfully and for a moment he looked briefly shocked before he roared with laughter.

She wasn’t at all certain why he was laughing but after a while he raised one of his hands in what might have been both apology and a way to ward her off. “I like you,” Zabini said after a while. “You’re not nearly as stupid as I thought you were. Good for you.”

“Thanks, I live for your opinion.” Astoria said dryly. That caused his lips to twitch all the more, “you’re nothing but a spoiled little rich boy that probably just got bored of being around his own kind and decided to make mummy a bit angry by having a hissy fit. And here I was admiring you,” she said unthinkingly and she cursed.

Zabini finished eating his fill of peaches before offering her the jar again and she shook her head at him before he placed the top back on and set it back on the self. A silence fell that was only broken when the servants began talking and laughing with each other outside, “You have a need to become a traitor, Greengrass?”

She and Scorpious were practically traitors already and her family was by no means anything pleasant with the things that they did. Astoria longed to be what she wanted to be without any lies or secrets keeping her down, “…Maybe, I do.” She whispered.

“I don’t hold it against you and I’ll keep it a secret if that’s what you’re worried about.” Zabini murmured curiously as he stared at her profile, his eyes roaming over her. “Your earlier assumption about me couldn’t be more wrong, though you were right about me being quite bored.”

Astoria glanced at him and saw that he had moved a bit closer to her, but his eyes were on her hair and she jumped a little as he reached out and tucked a stray lock behind her ear. “What do you—?”

Zabini sighed. “That was bothering the hell out of me. I apologize; I should remember that you are the same girl that called me a filthy pureblood.” He said with a grin and Astoria stared up at him incredulously, “you don’t have to apologize for it, as I am what I am.”

Scorpious would be very pleased with that answer and for a moment she wondered what her brother and sister were up to and hoped that this night would come to an end soon. “I should apologize, or at least thank you for protecting me from Malfoy and the others after I fainted.”

“Your corset was much too tight. Are you still unwell?” Zabini asked curiously and she stared at him in surprise at his concern. They stood closely together but she wasn’t able to step away, “I was worried for a moment that you would pass out again as you ranted and raved at Malfoy— while hilarious, but dangerous in a weakened condition.”

Astoria wondered if he talked a lot in front of people he could actually abide and she imagined him for a moment chatting with the servants. “You’re odd,” she said and he nodded in agreement before tilting his head at her thoughtfully, “but I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

Zabini shrugged one of his shoulders while running his eyes along the length of her throat before he asked. “Did Malfoy take a bite out of you? I thought that he would have left a bruise on your throat at least, he was eyeing it all evening.”

“No, he didn’t,” Astoria said sharply but he only smiled at her disarmingly and she felt an uncomfortable blush creep into her cheeks. “Why are you so concerned with what Malfoy wants to do to me? I thought it was obvious.”

“Oh, it’s very obvious. He’s wanted you for a while, he thinks that no one notices but I was able to tell that whenever you walked into the room, his entire face lit up,” Zabini made an odd motion with his hands and smiled dramatically and she let out a nervous giggle. “Cute,” he said to the sound before continuing on, “your lack of interest in him makes you interesting prey. I’d advise you not to give in, as he’ll ditch you fast after a few quick rounds.”

Astoria flushed in irritation but she knew this without him having to tell her. Another silence fell between them, Zabini continuing to make mocking faces until she actually laughed. “Would you stop doing that? We’re supposed to be hiding!”

“Sorry,” Zabini said and his face fell for a moment before they stood still for nearly two minutes before he started up again, apparently very bored. Why he was so at ease with her boggled her mind but Astoria found him slightly more entertaining than she would have thought, “has the game started yet?”

“Oh, some time ago.” Astoria said as she distractedly stared at his face, wondering how he was able to stretch and pull at it so easily. It must be some sort of magic and she reached up to touch him and then let her hands fall to her sides as pure revulsion struck her, “…you weren’t interested in playing earlier. What made you give in?”

Zabini had watched the action of her hands for a moment but didn’t say anything to it, though he did step a bit back from her to give her some space. “I wasn’t in the best of moods. My mother forced me to come to this horrid place after I’d decided to run off to Diagon Alley, there’s a flat that’s taking in people that’s above an old apothecary.”

Astoria stared at him in astonishment. He was willing to toss his life behind so easily to follow his own and she asked, “So you’re seventeen?” he shook his head and she felt her mouth falling open in surprise, “you were going to run away from home at sixteen?”

“It was a sweet dream. But Mother snuffed it out by reminding me that she’s not well, and so I promised that I would stay until after I graduate and get my inheritance.” Zabini said and he sounded very weary and aggravated. She wondered if he were hoping his mother would die, “And plus, Greengrass, I find Samantha Travers to be repugnant.”

Astoria hadn’t been expecting this but she stared at him for a moment or two before folding her arms and saying. “She was rather interested in you.”

Zabini shuddered. “So?”

“…And it would have been awkward if you had gotten me.” Astoria said calmly.

“No it wouldn’t have been.” Zabini said just as calmly and Astoria was aware that his eyes had become a bit hooded and she took a step away. “Easy, I’m not going to hurt you.” Sighing, he said wistfully, “the things that I would have done to you if Malfoy hadn’t have cheated.”

Astoria was thrust out of her thoughts of how quickly she would have to run from him if they had gotten each other. “Cheated?”

“You didn’t notice? He hesitated for just a second before he gave me the bag, I’m thinking he used a simple spell on the pieces and because the Dark Lord is in control of the Ministry, underage sorcery is the last thing on their minds.” Zabini said with a frosty expression.

Astoria didn’t find this all too shocking and she frowned for a moment before thinking of how furious Malfoy would be if she pointed this out to him. The fact that Zabini had had no problem with getting her in the game posed millions of questions in her mind, none of them complimentary and she somehow found herself holding her tongue on the matter. “I don’t know why, but he won’t leave me alone.”

Zabini gave her a reassuring smile that made his entire face look different and the little orbs of light that he had created around them seemed to float above their heads. “There’s something about you, I suppose. The fact that you must have told him no and that you hate purebloods, don’t share a dorm in the Slytherin common room and act as though someone will kill you at any minute would intrigue anyone.”

“How would you know all of that—?”

“I notice a lot of things.” Zabini said simply. “While dinner was being served, I noticed that you don’t eat your vegetables, that you’re left handed and that you think your hair is too tight. You kept trying to loosen your pins.”

Astoria had done all of these things and she was slightly embarrassed by his astute description of her and she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to it. The fact that someone had noticed the mundane things she did was more disturbingly intimate than she would have thought, “My mum insists on dressing me like a doll. But I know more than she does that I’ll never get an offer to get married, my sister Emily will be sold off before me.”

Zabini laughed a little and then crossed his arms a bit before pressing his ear to the door to listen for activity. “You don’t sound as if you’re really shocked.”

“Emily is a lot prettier than I am and she’s a pureblood. That will get her through to a lot of fine proposals but I’m half blood and no real pureblood is going to want to be with me,” Astoria said bitterly while looking at him, wondering why she was revealing so much.

“Pureblood men are snobbish by nature but I’m sure that someone out there will enjoy that prickly attitude of yours.” Zabini said lightly and Astoria gave him a look. He was still listening for any sound and said after a moment, “Malfoy probably hasn’t come this way. He might think you’re hiding in some dark corner waiting for him to bite you.”

“I don’t care what he thinks, he disgusts me.” Astoria hissed but she thought of the odd conversation that she had had with Malfoy shortly before and furrowed her brow.

“If he doesn’t catch you tonight, he’ll make life miserable for you at Hogwarts.” Zabini warned and Astoria snorted, Malfoy did this quite well without even trying. And her family would be cast into rumors and lies if he had his way but she couldn’t compromise herself for them, not this time and not for someone lower than her.

“He stalks me enough.” Astoria gritted.

Zabini snorted a bit but he didn’t say anything to it and she spent a moment or two considering him before he asked. “You really don’t find him attractive then?”

“No, I don’t.” Astoria tried to block out the memory of his kiss and the promises that he had whispered in her ear and said shakily. “He’d never be able to care for anyone other than himself.”

There was some sort of activity going on outside and a discreet knock came from the kitchen and Zabini let out a relieved breath. “You’re very right about your assumptions for Malfoy, Greengrass, but for now, let them go.” He was smiling a bit, though he looked very surprised. “We should become better acquainted, I’ve enjoyed this.”

Astoria looked over at him in both confusion and wariness before he opened the door and ushered her to come out. She slowly did but looked around closely before noting that the servants were rushing out with trays and last minute glasses of champagne, paying them no mind and she hoped that neither of them thought that they had been doing something scandalous. “What’s going on?”

Zabini looked very relieved and he smoothed out his robes and walked out of the kitchen, but not before grabbing an apple from a bowl and stuffing it into his pocket. At her look, he grinned. “I’m a growing boy, don’t criticize me.” The teasing note in his voice made her smile reluctantly and they walked out of the kitchen together in silence before he said, “the party is over. The servants are just offering last minute treats and drinks, as they say.”

Astoria was blessedly relieved and sent a thanks to the Gods or whoever else was up there for sparing her life. As they walked down the corridor towards the foyer, she could hear chatter and activity and she stared up at him in pure confusion before frowning thoughtfully, “What are you going to do now that you’re not wanted here any longer?”

“Celebrate. You should come Greengrass, I won’t touch you but we can walk around each other and pretend that we’re dancing,” Zabini said charmingly and Astoria stared up at him for a moment before laughing, unable to understand him. A question was forming in her mind over what he meant by that comment when he overrode her, “are you expecting much company these last few days before the train?”

Astoria would be spending the last few days of her lonely summer doing absolutely nothing but counting the days off on her calendar with reluctance. She would be back in Hogwarts in her dorm, invisible to the world for another year, “…No,” she said warily.

Zabini appeared slightly pleased with that knowledge and she looked up at him with narrowed eyes before he said. “Since the two of us have bonded over this horrible night, I’d advise you to allow me to come for dinner.”

“…You’re asking to come to dinner?” Astoria asked and she was briefly flattered before she thought of how dangerous it would be for both of them. Her family could lie as easily as anyone else, their skill in the art was nearly as strong as their need for revenge but she couldn’t imagine having a pureblood in her home. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

Zabini took the rejection with a bit of a frown before asking her stiffly. “Why do you hate purebloods?” in a disappointed tone.

“Why do you need to know?” Astoria countered back and they stood together for a moment or two before she said hastily. “I appreciate you helping me, I really do but we don’t know each other well enough and I’m sorry but I’m skeptical of what you might want. Thanks again, really,” she said honestly before walking as fast as she could away from him.

Something slipped from her sweaty fingers but she ignored it and continued onward, longing to be reunited with her family and have this night end. As she rounded a corner, someone grabbed her around the waist and pressed her to the wall, “Don’t think that for one moment that this is over between us, Greengrass. I will figure you out and Merlin knows that I’m going to kill you for that little stunt you pulled in my lounge,” Draco Malfoy hissed into her face.

Astoria struggled and felt nothing but fear going through her system as she met his grey eyes with her violet ones. He had more nerve than she would have given him credit for, the house being filled to the brim with guests, Zabini not too far away, “H-how did you know where I was? Let go of me!”

“Servants gossip quite a bit and I’m curious to know what really happened in that pantry. Aren’t you?” Malfoy snarled into her face and she recoiled a bit. “You’ll easily give yourself to him but not to me and refusing me to go for that blood traitor is going to put your family into disgrace.”

Emily had assumed correctly but she hadn’t said anything about Malfoy trying to kill her over her ridiculous plan. “I’m not involved with Zabini or anyone! But he’s a damn better sight than you’ll ever be!” Astoria hissed at him.

If they were caught like this, then the rumors would spread and her worst nightmares would be realized for certain. Malfoy was aware of this as well but he was too furious to care, “I don’t care if you’re lying to me or not. I told you that I would have you no matter what the circumstances and I’ll be damned if I let that bastard have you.”

“I don’t belong to you, Malfoy. I have never wanted you and I never will!” Astoria cried in disgust as she felt a bit of pain. When he had slammed her against the wall she had been too startled and afraid to notice that her head had snapped back.

Malfoy’s lips thinned disbelievingly before he pressed his mouth against hers. It was a deliriously aggressive kiss and by the time he allowed her to breathe again, Astoria was gripping the front of his robes, her cheeks flushed. “How bloody stupid do you think that I am? You want me but you’re too scared to take me so I’ll take you whether you hate me or not.”

“You’re _mental_!” Astoria panted harshly and he nodded in agreement, unable to deny it as he pressed his lips to her throat. Shivers broke out along her skin, “Malfoy—” she said fiercely, pushing at him as hard as she could.

Malfoy released her only to cup her face in his hands, his expression wild and completely devoid of anything that appeared even remotely human. “I just don’t understand it. Anything you want,” he whispered darkly and Astoria shook her head and he asked nastily, “So you _want_ me to ruin your family and leave you pathetic fools in shreds?”

“No!” Astoria cried furiously, her fear being tossed aside as quickly as it had been brought into her blood. The despicable nature of him was nearly too overwhelming, “Don’t, please—”

Malfoy’s lips turned up with delight and she cursed fluently before he licked warningly at her lower lip if she dared to scream. “So is that a yes?” he whispered, his eyes appearing to darken until they shone like blue emeralds.

Astoria glowered at him in pure hatred. This was her last opportunity to save her family, to insure that her parents and Emily and Scorpious were happy and she felt tears of frustration prickling at the corners of her eyes, “I don’t think I heard you. Speak up, sweet. Say yes to me,” he commanded gently.

The force of her heart was so strong that she could hear each and every beat. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and she inhaled raggedly before saying weakly, “No, Malfoy. I _won’t_ do it.”

Malfoy released her immediately and he took a few steps back, looking slightly demented before he gripped her by her chin. Astoria met the vicious look in his eyes unblinkingly and saw that while it angered him, he was also fascinated and his tone turned oddly soothing, “I’m going to _ruin_ you, be aware of that.”

Astoria knew that her family would have to suffer but she wouldn’t lower herself for anyone and especially not him, “Be aware that I can do the same and you’ll regret this. You’ll regret getting involved with me.”

“We’ll see who the winner in the end is Half and Half. By the time I’m done with you, you won’t be able to _crawl_ without asking me for permission,” Malfoy said sweetly before straightening out his robes and striding away, as if he had done nothing.

Astoria was weak and she tried not to allow herself to sink to her knees as shame and rage took their toll on her. She hated Draco Malfoy but she would _not_ allow him to see her crumble. A Greengrass simply fought back and they never, ever let a grudge go and she only hoped that she would be the one ripping him apart.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	5. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malfoy's attempts to destroy Astoria and her family begins. When it starts to spiral out of control, Blaise Zabini once again does something that leaves Astoria questioning her allegiance to her family and the trust it would take to have a friend.

Astoria still felt weak and it was hard for her to gather breath as her rage and shame took control of her; demanding that she attack Malfoy and rip his strapping body to bits. Of course, this should have alarmed her to the unnerving fact that she was just like her father and brother when it came to physical violence but she was very tempted to chase after that boy and kill him. But after the thought surfaced, she dismissed it. Astoria Greengrass was no killer. While her mind played about various ways of annihilating Malfoy, she could not force herself to actually go through with anything. It left her feeling weaker than she had when he’d kissed her. The force of that kiss— his mouth and the brief press of his tongue against her own caused her cheeks to burn red and she was unable to block out his earlier comment.

“…. _You can try and pretend that you hate me but I’m no fool, I can offer you much more than anyone else can, be aware of that the next time you turn so red_.”Astoria felt sick to her stomach. Could it be that underneath it all, she was attracted to Draco Malfoy? She refused to believe it. He was vile, cruel and ignorant and the only thing he could offer her was distance and because that was how her life would end some way or another if she married a pureblood, she would not cave.

Desire was such a foolish thing and Malfoy would give her nothing. He would treat her like a prized hen and she would never know what it would be like to be loved. Frustrated tears burned in her eyes and she hastily wiped at her trembling lips, trying to erase the stain of his kiss and then feeling her knees going weak as she heard sudden footsteps.

Had he come back for her? Was he going to forget about her refusal, take her into some dark corner and devour her properly? Astoria’s breath was coming from between clenched teeth as she managed to push herself from the wall he’d slammed her against, looking for him down the darkened corridor. But she saw nothing and no sign of his tall, imposing form. Relief sprang into her heart and was only taken from her as someone gently touched her shoulder from behind. Reeling around with a scream bubbling in her throat, Astoria saw Blaise Zabini staring at her again, this time looking worried, “Are you all right?” he asked.

Astoria tried not to recoil from his touch but she must have made some sort of face because Zabini allowed his hand to fall, apologizing immediately for offending her. “I…I’m fine.” She said tightly.

“You don’t look like it to me.” Zabini murmured while taking in her tear streaked face and ignoring the noise from guests and servants up ahead. For a while, Astoria tried to reign in her emotions but he simply pulled out a handkerchief from his robe pocket and handed it to her warily, “would you take this? I’m quite sure you won’t let me wipe your tears for you.”

Astoria warily accepted the offering, noticing that it was a deep green material, most likely some sort of silk and imprinted with his initials. When she pressed it to her face, she was able to detect a faint odor that made her heart pound a bit, “It smells like you,” she said after a while.

Zabini raised his eyebrows at that but he made no funny faces, merely allowed the comment to pass before he said. “I’d think so.” And when she said nothing to it, he asked idly. “You don’t like it?”

“Why would you need to know?” Astoria asked him suspiciously because she actually _did_ like it. Whatever sort of cologne he wore smelt like sandalwood…crisp trees in spring, “why are you acting this way with me? First the comments in the pantry and now this—”

“You’re not accustomed to being flirted with, are you Greengrass? Though I wouldn’t necessarily call _that_ flirting when I was making fun of you at the time,” Zabini said in a casual way and Astoria frowned at him in irritation, her cheeks flushing. “Such a prickly demeanor, it’s very fun to nitpick at.”

Astoria had been right in her assumption that he had been teasing her and she wasn’t certain why he would bother. “What do you want from me? I’m not stupid enough to think that you want to become friends just for the simple blessing of being in my company.”

Zabini burst out laughing and his smile was so wide and bright that Astoria reeled away from it in terror. “You and I are alike in some ways and you’re odd to me. I find it refreshing, as I explained to you earlier,” he said and then after a while he simply shrugged a bit before raking her, “and you may find this surprising but I wasn’t lying when I said that I liked you.”

“Do you think that I’m stupid?” Astoria asked furiously, flushing.

Zabini thought about it for a moment or two before shaking his head. “No, I don’t, actually. Not stupid mentally anyway,” he said dryly and Astoria glared. “Emotionally you’re very stupid. You have no guts Greengrass to do what you like. Your family is a real hindrance on you, aren’t they?”

Astoria felt a burst of irritation at this truth and she glared up at him warningly. “Don’t talk as if you know me Zabini or my family. I have reasons for the way that I have to behave and those are reasons that you shouldn’t concern yourself with.”

Zabini quirked his brow at that a bit but she could see his lips thinning before he took a step closer to her, until she was drenched in his scent. Astoria felt a bit dizzy and wondered how she couldn’t have smelt it before in the pantry and then remembered that it had been full to the brim with herbs, spices and various other supplies, “I don’t know you at all but I’d like to. Honestly, and truly, Greengrass.”

“I’m not that dumb—”

“You need to learn that not everyone is trying to hurt you. You have some steel but the more you distrust, the lonelier you’ll be.” Zabini warned gravely and she felt her heart nearly stop with this truth. “If I had wanted to hurt you or…taste you by now, I assure that I would have.”

Astoria’s cheeks turned red and an image of Malfoy flew into her brain and she shook her head a bit before taking a step back. “Don’t say something like that, you sound like Malfoy.”

Zabini’s upper lip rose a bit and he glanced down to her hands and how she wrung his handkerchief in between her fingers nervously. “So he caught you? What did he offer you this time? Furs and jewels?” a dark look crossed his features. “A set of pearls perhaps?”

Astoria shook her head. “No, he—”

Zabini interrupted her with a sneer. “Threatened you, then? My, Greengrass, you have more courage than I would have thought. What’s he going to do? Spread lies about your family?”

“How do you know that?” Astoria demanded and she wondered for a brief moment if they were in leagues with one another. Never trust a pureblood after all, “did he tell you what he wanted out of me at some point?”

Zabini snorted bitterly and his dark eyes flickered with some emotion or another and Astoria wondered what was lurking beneath the surface. “I’ve known him far longer than you have, we grew up together at Hogwarts and I’ve engaged in quite a few…tricks of my own in the past.”

Astoria could believe that and she found herself wanting to be away from him but something was holding her back. This boy captivated her, “And?”

“And I’ve heard the same lines for years now when he wanted a girl, when he grew furious when they would tell him no. He usually became quite the charmer when they would fight him and they would always give in, but not you.” Zabini said in amazement and she saw that, perhaps, he might even respect her a bit. “Whatever he does to you, don’t give in.”

“I don’t plan to.” Astoria said bitterly and her mind wandered bleakly on how she would get her revenge on Malfoy for whatever treachery he would play on her. “I’m a Greengrass, after all.”

Zabini’s lips twitched a bit and he dipped his head at her before saying almost uncomfortably, “I would like to come for dinner. Or perhaps in the afternoon to chat more with you, but I’m aware that you may not want to be an acquaintance to a traitor.”

The fact that her parents would not be very pleased if she did become involved with a traitor did flash through her mind. It would bring unnecessary attention onto them but for a moment, a wild, impulsive thought escaped her, “But if you want…perhaps we can send letters?”

Zabini stared at her as if he found her perplexing. But Astoria wasn’t lying about keeping her eyes on him; there was something that he wasn’t revealing about his sudden interest in her, “Stop looking as if I’ll stab you in the back, Greengrass. Merlin, I’m a gentleman and I may be a filthy pureblood but I don’t harm women, at least, women that I actually would like to befriend,” he said evasively.

Astoria narrowed her eyes on him and wondered if Emily were right in trusting him just a bit and using him as a way to keep Malfoy away. “I won’t question your feelings on things that you would rather not say. You know that I would like to be a traitor so you have something against me and I could always say that you hurt me in that pantry.”

Zabini looked thunderstruck as he stared at her and Astoria waited for him to yell at her or to grab her, as Malfoy did but he simply stared until he burst out laughing. “What _are_ you?” he asked abruptly and she blinked in confusion. “Such a feisty little thing, it makes me curious…” he murmured to himself.

“What do you mean?’ Astoria asked him in confusion, unsettled.

“ _You_ make me curious. If only I had spoken to you sooner, I may have befriended you a lot earlier,” Zabini said with an odd expression on his face.

Astoria blushed. “Who says you’re my friend?”

Zabini laughed a bit. “Me,” he said with a shrug. “You threaten me as if you could really harm me when I’m sure that you’re much too gentle.”

Astoria was annoyed by that and she had a feeling that he was able to note a lot of things about her. “I will keep my eyes on you. This isn’t normal for me, going against my family or trusting a pureblood—”

“Aren’t everyone in your family purebloods?” Zabini asked curiously. Astoria nodded. “Then why the hatred?” when she didn’t answer, he simply logged the question away for later before bowing his head in acceptance of her wishes. “I’m without a quill and ink to give my address away.”

“…So…?” Astoria asked warily.

Zabini then reached inside of his robs and took out a red, leather-bound book and she reached for it automatically. “You dropped this but it’s not yours, is it? It has the luridly erotic flare of something that Malfoy would have in that den of his. I’ll take it back, you go to your family and I’ll nick some parchment and a quill from that prat.”

Astoria was surprised that he wouldn’t want her to come with him but she had a feeling that the servant’s gossip about them in that pantry would have spread by now. A chill descended on her skin at what might happen if they were seen entering Malfoy’s lounge together….alone, “All right. This stays strictly between us.”

“Of course,” Zabini said lazily and he gave her an odd little expression that made him look like an old man and she laughed a bit, though it was uneasy. “So cute, Greengrass.” He said wistfully before he walked on without her.

Astoria felt a curious flush spread into her cheeks that was so very different from the ones that Malfoy gave her and she hurried along to the front of the manor, towards her parents. There was a sea of black and rainbow dresses and she politely moved and excused herself around various couples and had a brief suspicion that Zabini had watched her interaction with Malfoy earlier simply for the perverse thought that she would give in. He was an odd one and she would have to log that into the back of her mind for later, he was too much of a cynic to save her all the time. _Strange, boy_ …Astoria thought for a moment and she looked down at her hands and seeing that she still clutched his handkerchief that was riddled with his scent, “There she is. Look at her; you’d think she would have a bit of shame.”

The nasty words stung and Astoria, who was used to purebloods making a joke out of her for being half-blood, simply ignored the scathing woman who passed her by with one of her friends. As she walked around looking for her family, she saw that quite a few women and lecherous men and boys were looking at her from corners, groups and even gawping at her rudely as they stood alone. Servants were handing out last-minute drinks and offering many guests their coats and hats but Astoria saw no sign of her own things and looked her father’s gleaming black hair, the other’s blonde locks. For a moment she was afraid that something had happened to them but after a moment she was able to spot out her mother and father speaking to…Merlin, no.

They were speaking in quiet tones to the Malfoy’s of all people, Draco Malfoy some feet away with Parkinson and Nott, snorting cruelly at the crestfallen expressions that were ranging from her parent’s faces. “Stori!” Emily’s voice hissed from behind her and Astoria turned and saw her sister walking up to her with a very concerned look. “Love, are you well?” she asked before taking in her face and raking her dress, hair and throat.

“Of course, I am. I fainted a while ago,” Astoria reminded worriedly as she heard the buzzing of cruel gossip and jeering laughter. “Emily, what’s wrong?”

Emily was looking around and she let out a foul curse. “Where on earth has Scorpious run off to _now_? I swear that that boy can just sleaze his way out of anything!” Astoria had a feeling that while their brother would come to their aid without fail, he would much rather be with his girlfriend.

Though she was a bit annoyed and angry with him for leaving when they needed to keep up appearances and she would have to fuss at him about it later. “I’m not sure,” Astoria said tightly.

But the words were barely out of her mouth when they both saw Scorpious strolling toward them through the thickness of the crowd. Many young girls watched him pass but he paid them no mind and Astoria knew from the look on his face that he was not pleased, “Oh, dear,” Emily said worriedly.

“Scorpious, what’s the matter?” Astoria asked him warily. Her brother’s blue eyes narrowed a bit on her as if she had disappointed him and she worried that whatever Malfoy had done to her had reached his ears. It would soon enough from the way their parents were behaving to his parents but she cared more for his and Emily’s opinions more than theirs, “what?”

“Are you involved with that Zabini boy, Stori? What have we always been taught? Never trust a pureblood.” Scorpious hissed down at her and Astoria frowned up at his anger. “I went back into that room of Malfoy’s lounge and he was there, and I confronted him on his intentions toward you.”

“Scorpious…” Emily said wearily. “Must you _always_ be so overprotective?”

“You can be too but _one_ of us has to keep an eye on her.” Scorpious spat back and Emily’s cheeks turned very pink. “How’d your assignment go? Fall in love with him?” he sneered a bit from under his breath.

Emily frowned at him and she looked as if she might take out her wand and hurt him but Astoria saw her say stiffly. “Why, he’s right over there and you’ll be quite surprised to see that he’s not that elderly.” She said while angling her head a bit.

Astoria and Scorpious turned and saw that she was indicating a tall, handsome man with dark brown hair. He was dressed very nicely in expensive robes and from here she could see the laugh lines around his eyes and had to admit reluctantly that he was dashing, “What’s his crime? He looks harmless enough, I suppose.”

Scorpious snorted nastily. “He’s a pureblood and if someone is paying dad to get rid of him, there’s more to his story than just a sunny disposition.” He mocked, his voice going girlishly high as he tried to mimic Emily’s.

Astoria was aware that he must not have gotten what he had wanted out of Zabini and she briefly wondered if he were still alive. “Scorpious, leave Emily alone.”

“Thank you, Stori. And it is a shame about Mr. Grant he doesn’t look as if he would murder his own wife.” Emily said with a sad sigh. “But the mother of the girl contacted Daddy some kind of way through our…back alley associates and what’s done is done. She’s paying us quite the weight in Galleons.” She said in a low whisper to her siblings.

Astoria knew that her father had man associates that lived deep in the underbelly of the Wizarding world and she sighed. Their business of disposing of people for profit made them sound like horrible people but her father merely thought of it as cleaning up the mess of pureblood scum, his hatred for them too deeply ingrained to be changed. “Were you able to speak with him?”

“Not really but I’ll have my chance. At least, I hope so.” Emily said worriedly while looking at her again. “Stori, I heard the most absurd rumor that you were in a pantry alone with that Zabini boy, don’t tell me that those servants were correct!”

Scorpious’s face turned red with fury and he made a jerking action as if he would go back and wring the boy’s neck but Astoria shot him a look. “It had better _not_ be true. I wasn’t able to get a clear answer out of that oddity. He says that he has no intention of having an intention to press his intentions upon you or some shit.”

Astoria couldn’t help but giggle. Emily sent her a sly look, “Well, Scorpious. It seems as though someone owes me an apology. I told you he was quite charming, even if he is a pureblood.”

“Oh, Emily, stuff a hippogriff in your mouth,” Scorpious muttered before looking down at Astoria in heavy disappointment. “Tell me that you’re not falling in line with everyone else, Stori. I would hate to see you saddled with a pureblood who’s announced himself as a traitor,”

“I haven’t, Scorpious!” Astoria insisted firmly.

Emily asked her curiously. “But you _were_ in a pantry with him?”

Astoria ignored her and watched as the Malfoy’s finally parted from their parents and when they walked up, her father looking quite furious, she moved toward Scorpious for protection. “I have never been more upset with you all than I am tonight!” their mother screeched in a low, menacing hiss.

Scorpious quirked his brow. “Not even for that time when I pushed Alexia Dolohov in horse shit?” he asked and Astoria roared with laughter at the memory before quickly reeling it in.

“This is no laughing matter you fools.” Their mother snapped and Astoria saw her eyes gleaming with concealed mirth before she said heatedly, “I have heard that you, Astoria were seen in a pantry with that Zabini boy. I will not have it!”

Astoria was more than unnerved that the rumor that she had suspected had occurred in just the way that she would have thought. “Mum,”

Her mother overrode her and her green eyes appeared very strained. She was humiliated and furious with them all, “And Emily, that young Malfoy swore that he saw you in the arms of some young man upstairs—”

Scorpious snorted loudly but there was a demonic cast to his face as he looked around for Draco Malfoy and Astoria sent him a warning glance. “That _has_ to be a lie. Emily only has a fondness for older men.”

Emily shot him a look.

Their mother glared at him a bit too and she then turned her attention towards Astoria. She loved her very much of course but had her doubts that she would believe her when status and lies consumed her as deeply as her husband, “Scorpious, cease your teasing. I thought that you would have kept a better eye on your sister, her temper is just as frightening as your own.”

“True, but she gets it from dad as well.” Scorpious said and Astoria was annoyed that they both looked rather smug that Astoria had inherited the Greengrass fury.

It was not something that she liked about herself. She wanted to be as distant from her family as possible when it came to their lies, traits and mannerisms but there were some things that she couldn’t fight and her temper was one of them, “And that is why I can’t believe that she would do something so foolish, she knows how we have to keep it a secret.” Their mother said simply, grudgingly.

Astoria was more than a bit relieved that she believed her but she saw that while she wouldn’t believe in her cavorting in a pantry, she did have some doubt as to what the real issue had been. “Mum, I didn’t do anything. What did the Malfoy’s say?’

“They told us about the rumors that were floating around from some of the other guests and they’re trying to save face.” Her father said suddenly and she saw that he was still furious but she detected that it wasn’t directed solely on her. “The nerve of them to actually assume that you would be in league with a traitor.” He said in disgust.

Astoria felt a guilty flush spreading into her cheeks and prayed that she appeared more mortified than shamed. “Dad, I wouldn’t do something like that, you don’t have to worry.” After a short moment, she asked the question for Emily’s sake, as she loved the life, “…are we barred from pureblood events?”

That had their mother looking quite humiliated but she straightened her shoulders a bit and said to them. “While the Malfoy’s may have ceased their invitations for the future, I’m sure that there will be more invitations from the acquaintances that we have made,” but she sounded doubtful and Astoria felt that this all was her fault.

If she had agreed with Malfoy in the first place then they wouldn’t have had to suffer and their father would be able to continue on with the business. “I have my doubts but the clients will continue and I will make the apologies to Lucius myself and we shall see how he takes it,” her father said just then with a calculating gleam.

“They won’t want you to continue coming to their parties and dances because of me so perhaps I should be excluded…” Astoria said hopefully but her parents shot her a look and she knew that her chances at marriage were too high to risk.

Scorpious looked just as irritated by it and asked. “Perhaps if we found that Zabini boy and had he and Stori explain the rumor to the Malfoy’s? I’m sure Stori isn’t fully to blame and I’ll be damned if he sleazes away without some sort of punishment.”

Emily gave him a look from underneath her lashes and their mother frowned in heavy disapproval for his overprotective nature. “That is true, Daddy. But I fear that the damage has already been done,” she said as many guests leered at them when Astoria dared to look at her surroundings.

“Not if I have my way.” Their father said with casual arrogance and Astoria swallowed a bit but knew that even if the Malfoy’s somehow accepted her apology for a transgression that had never happened, the rumor had taken root. “Come, darling, we’ll speak to Lucius and that horrid wife of his.”

“ _Maximus_!” Astoria heard her mother hiss.

Scorpious laughed a bit. “Should I go find that Zabini boy?”

“No need, Greengrass. I was just coming to you,” Zabini’s voice rang out and Astoria glanced over her father’s arm to see the boy strolling up. He found nothing unusual about the fact that many guests had parted from him as if he were contagious, “and I don’t appreciate you threatening me.”

Their mother swatted at Scorpious. “How many times have I told you?”

Scorpious snorted a bit but eyed Zabini in acute distrust, “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself in getting Stori into such a nasty situation?”

“I’m as confused as you are.” Zabini said calmly while glancing at Astoria. She sent him a confused look in return before he said, “I managed to get Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy interest about a concerning problem. If you would follow me?”

Astoria wondered what he had done as her father said to the others. “Stay here, please. We’ll be back shortly,” and they reluctantly stayed put.

From the corner of her eye, she was able to see Malfoy looking very confused and perhaps even worried as she and her father followed Zabini back into his lounge. Once they got there, Astoria was surprised o see Helena Zabini and Malfoy’s parents standing in the room, the fireplace still blazing and that unnerving sense of sensuality still polluting the room, “What is all of this about, Blaise? Lucius and Narcissa have guests to see. You have upset me more than enough tonight.”

“Forgive me, Mother,” Zabini said dryly and Astoria could tell that he didn’t mean it for all the stars in the sky. “And please do forgive me for insisting that you see me Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, as I’m sure that my presence here is still very unwanted.”

Mrs. Malfoy had folded her delicate arms a bit and was now considering him as if she were having some sort of doubt. “I would like to get to the bottom of this, Blaise.” Astoria was surprised that she had used his first name and then recalled that Zabini had said he’d been around Malfoy for a very long time, “We shouldn’t be speaking to you after such a rude action at dinner.”

Mr. Malfoy looked as if he wanted to kill Zabini and Astoria felt her father stiffen a bit in what might have been irritation. “You said that this concerned our son and anything that concerns Draco needs to be explained immediately.”

Astoria saw a grin flash across Zabini’s face in a sinister way and swallowed just as she heard Draco Malfoy’s voice. “Mother, Father, is there an issue?” he asked while strolling elegantly inside, all class and sophistication. “Why is he still here?” he jerked his head at Zabini.

When he passed by her, Astoria pressed herself to her father’s side more firmly but Malfoy, for all his arrogance, had the nerve to wink at her. It was such a sly movement that she barely caught it and her hatred for him blossomed, “I was just going to send for you. Now, Blaise, what is this all about and make haste,” Mr. Malfoy said venomously.

“I was aware of all the rumors that were circulating from the servants that put both me and the lovely Ms. Greengrass in a rather negative light.” Zabini said while standing straight, as tall and haughty as the other purebloods in the room.

Astoria stared at him in confusion.

“I would like those rumors to be brought to a rest, as my daughter would never do something to dishonor your home, Lucius.” Her father said tightly, and when she looked up she saw that his blue eyes were narrowed into dangerous, cunning slits.

Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Malfoy exchanged looks but there was no remorse in them and Astoria was reminded of strapping dead things. Beautifully sculpted on the outside but rotten and foul on the inside, “We are aware of the rumor, Maximus. And I can’t subject the other girls to your daughter’s…behavior,” Mr. Malfoy said thinly.

Astoria gripped her father’s arm to stop him from pulling out his wand, which had killed many a man in his lifetime. Zabini smiled just then and she was so disarmed by it that she failed to notice that Malfoy was glaring furiously at her from underneath his blonde lashes, “I’m afraid that this is all some sort of big misunderstanding. I was hiding in the pantry with Ms. Greengrass,”

Helena Zabini snapped furiously. “Blaise Thaddeus Zabini, you fool!” and before she could go on in more of a rant, Mrs. Malfoy sent her a cold look and she silenced herself. The more powerful woman in the room obviously held the control over the fragile woman.

“Your middle name is Thaddeus?” Astoria asked Zabini unthinkingly.

“Astoria,” her father said with a barely controlled chuckle.

Zabini’s lips twitched a bit and Malfoy sneered at him a bit before going to his parents and standing beside his father. They were very much alike, though his father was just an inch or so taller than his son and could probably devour a human village whole, “There was a reason for our hiding, I can assure you. Why, it may be shocking to say that the entire idea was a game that your son brought upon us earlier this evening.”

Astoria’s jaw dropped at his nerve and she hastily reigned in her surprise as Malfoy’s exterior faltered somewhat. His grey eyes were mere daggers, “You lie, Blaise. What sort of game would extend to you having such exotic tastes?” the other boy asked nastily.

“This game…” Zabini said as he turned his back and went to Malfoy’s bookshelf and after he moved aside the exact same books that Malfoy had earlier, he extracted the red bag. Astoria’s heart was pounding as he said with a sigh, “I’m not aware if you know that your son enjoys his little sex games but this is why we were hiding, as neither of us wanted to participate.”

There was a long silence after that and Malfoy’s entire face, if possible, turned grey and he stared at Zabini as if he would boil him in oil. Helena Zabini looked quite shocked as Mrs. Malfoy spluttered, “You lie! Draco would never do something like that—”

Zabini asked her dryly. “Then why was this found in his room? There are pieces inside and I can assure you that pulling out a piece that instructs you to suck on someone is _exactly_ what it sounds like.”

Mr. Malfoy looked, for the first time, embarrassed and he shot his son a dark look that had Astoria wondering if this would be the last time that she would see him alive. Malfoy shrank back but he shot her a deadly look, “…The fact that you participated does not convince me, Blaise.” His father said after a moment.

“I can assure that I did not touch Ms. Greengrass but you may want to ask the others who participated in the game…how much they _participated_ in the game,” Zabini said loftily and his dark eyes were gleaming.

Mrs. Malfoy was seething. “I’d like names of these children immediately and you have no way of proving that you and that girl were not…” she couldn’t say the words, as a gently bred older woman could never speak of such things. “I would like proof.”

Zabini smiled thinly. “Ms. Greengrass, did I lay my hand, my mouth or anything remotely interesting on you in that pantry?” he asked bluntly and Astoria’s face flamed.

“No,” Astoria said after a while and all eyes turned to her viciously. Her father didn’t seem at all surprised though and he sent her a beaming smile when she looked up at him, “I was hiding from Malfoy because he was intent on…doing the most horrid things to me.”

Malfoy stared at her for a long moment as if he couldn’t believe that he had been betrayed and his lips turned into a thin, foreboding line. “Like I would taint myself with a _breed_. You’re delusional Greengrass.”

Zabini watched as his parent’s faces became arrogantly relieved by the words, knowing their son’s ignorance better than anyone else’s. “As I can say that I saw you kissing Ms. Greengrass and against her will— I might add, I find _that_ to be untrue.”

Malfoy must have made some sort of reaction to that, as Astoria had been staring at Blaise because Mr. Malfoy said in disgust. “I see. I want names as well, Blaise. Who else participated in this game?”

“Millicent and Mary Bulstrode. Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott and Samantha Travers.” Zabini said without hesitation and his effective slaying of the others would put him and Astoria in more danger than he might have thought but she saw that he hardly cared. “If you would like to ask them, perhaps give them Veritaserum to test their honesty…?”

“I’ll do no such thing.” Mr. Malfoy hissed furiously but Astoria could see his eyes flickering a bit as if he could prune the unworthy from his ancestral home with one little drop of the truth-telling potion. “And I’ll believe nothing of my son’s attraction to…Ms. Greengrass. I will put an end to this disgusting game at once. I do owe you that, Blaise.”

Zabini smiled charmingly. “Why, I’m honored.”

Astoria’s lips were twitching a bit and Malfoy shot her a look as Mrs. Malfoy simply looked as if she would rather believe nothing. “You present a daunting case Blaise but I don’t find myself becoming convinced of everything and I will not have that…girl in my home, or you.”

Astoria’s father stiffened. “Make no hasty assumptions about my daughter. If she says that nothing transpired, then nothing transpired but I don’t find your skepticism too far- fetched, though I believe that you should not place all the blame on their heads when they might have even been pressured by your son in playing such a…activity.”

The words might as well have slapped the Malfoy’s across the faces from the way they reeled back and Astoria had never been more proud of her father. And yet she knew that the business was his main concern. Mr. Malfoy was trying to hold in his fury. His face was turning rather red, “Until I receive all the answers to this problem, I will allow you and your family to continue on here at the Manor. That is only until I discover the truth, though I will not have Blaise disgracing my home again.”

“You don’t have to worry. I don’t want to come back.” Zabini said calmly even as his mother burst into tears. “But at least spare my mother and allow her to suffer with your company.”

“You arrogant—” Mr. Malfoy began.

Mrs. Malfoy interrupted and said to Astoria and her father. “ _I_ won’t allow your daughter into my home; the rest of you are more than welcome.”

“My daughter was not involved in anything scandalous, I can assure you.” Astoria heard her father say furiously and she swallowed hard.

Zabini was giving her a concerned look from the corner of his eye before he said to Malfoy’s parents. “I thought we had already deduced that Ms. Greengrass and I were not fondling each other wildly in that pantry? Servant’s gossip shouldn’t even be taken into account.” He pointed out calmly and Astoria felt her heart do a lurch.

That little remark caused the Malfoy’s to flush with anger and Astoria was reminded of wolves ready to go in for the kill. “The rumor has spread,”

Malfoy finally spoke up and his voice was cold and controlled. “I can say that I saw the two of you coming out of the pantry. With my own two eyes, I must add,” he said and Astoria flushed in hatred. “You seemed awfully compatible to me.”

Zabini laughed mirthlessly. “Sleeping with someone and speaking to them are completely different things but you wouldn’t know anything about that, now would you?”

“ _Blaise_!” his mother interrupted hotly, catching the look that passed over the Malfoy’s faces at the bold words. “Stop this at once!”

There was a silence and it appeared that Zabini would ignore his mother but Mrs. Malfoy finally found her voice again and it sounded clipped and cruel, “Whether you and the girl were involved with one another in that pantry or not does not mean still does not excuse the fact that she was with a blood traitor…now does it?”

Astoria’s father stiffened and he looked down at her sternly. “I will demand the truth once we arrive home.” He whispered darkly in her ear, “we are in a precarious situation and I will not allow the business to suffer.”

Zabini narrowed his eyes at the look that must have crossed her face and he gave her father a rather icy glare that he hid well behind his words. “You have known me for half of my life and to honestly accuse me of something so debase hurts me,” he said to Mrs. Malfoy and she had the audacity to flush. “My actions at the dinner table do not stop me from being a gentleman.”

“But they do mark you as a traitor. Or do you deny it?” Mr. Malfoy asked darkly.

Astoria couldn’t allow this to continue and for her family’s sake she said, before she could stop herself. “…Zabini is merely being misunderstood. He’s grown quite worried for his mother’s illness and told me that he was unable to take joy in the Dark Lord’s uprising as he was overcome with grief that his mother would not live long enough to glory in Harry Potter’s demise.”

Helena Zabini looked at her son as he sent Astoria a heavy look from under his lashes and she tried to send him an apology but he ignored her moments later. “Oh, Blaise, why didn’t you say?” his mother said tearfully.

Mr. Malfoy shot Zabini a look that was both menacing and cold satisfaction. “Is this the truth?” he asked sharply.

Astoria couldn’t have her family placed in a negative light and she chewed on her lower lip morosely, fearing that Zabini would deny everything. But after a short while, he said, “…I rarely get any sleep at night, worrying for you, Mother.”

Mrs. Malfoy narrowed her eyes on him suspiciously. “I expect better behavior from you in the future, Blaise.” Malfoy looked as if she had stabbed him and opened his mouth to say something but she sent him a look, “not now, Draco. There’s much to discuss between your father and I, concerning you.”

Astoria could barely hold in the grin that was blossoming along her face but she knew that it was far from over. Malfoy would kill her for certain now or molest her the instant he got a chance, “Yes, Mother,” he said slowly.

“Are we done?” Zabini asked dryly.

“There are still things to discuss but Maximus; I expect you and your…family here sometime in the future. I do apologize for the misunderstanding.” Mr. Malfoy said, overruling his wife swiftly and causing her to glare at him from under her lashes.

Astoria’s father smiled a bit and she could hear the lie in his voice. “It would be more than an honor.” He bowed a bit with her at them, “Say your apologies, to young Malfoy dear.”

Draco Malfoy looked as if he would peel her skin slowly and surely but Astoria bowed deeply and said in a soft tone. “Thank you for clearing up this misunderstanding. It couldn’t have been resolved without _you_ ,” she said sweetly.

Her father ignored the venomous glare in the boy’s eyes. Smirking, he nodded at Helena Zabini and then to the son and she swore that he sent him a little grin after he drew up and directed her from the room.

Before they walked fully out, however, Zabini walked up to them and said to her father as his dark hand briefly touched hers. “I am most sorry for the inconvenience, sir. But it had to be done,” he murmured and Astoria felt something slip between her fingers, her disgust reigned in.

“You’re a fine liar, Mr. Zabini. I expect great things from you in the future,” Astoria heard her father say slyly before he nodded his head at him and directed her away. Zabini went back into the lounge of demons. “We will be discussing this later tonight,” she heard her father warn to her.

Astoria ignored him and cautiously opened her hand and saw a paper with Zabini’s address nearly written in fine script. Never in her life had her heart jumped so eagerly and she couldn’t suppress her smile.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	6. Greengrass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco Malfoy is having an issue with Astoria Greengrass. Not only has she humiliated him but he can't seem to shake off the feeling of unease that her family has brought into his system. So he decides to hunt down some answers and perhaps finds out more than he bargained for. Astoria on the other hand is so weary from the night that when her father proposes a most...disgusting idea, she makes the scariest decision of her life and betrays her family completely.

Draco Malfoy stared coldly up at his ceiling, his body teeming with rage and humiliation from the nights varying events. Disgusting images swam like a torrent through his mind as he tried to block out what he might have been doing to Greengrass if she had only cooperated with him, her lips against his and their bodies melding together.

But the more he thought of it; the more furious he became until he wanted to change his disgusting fantasies into murderous ones. Ones that included dragging the girl’s lifeless corpse through the fields of the Malfoy estate. How he longed to wrap his fingers around her delicious throat and wring the life from her until those gorgeous violet eyes tinted and fogged over. But even as he thought it, he knew that he couldn’t physically harm her.

Draco was irritated by the nagging feeling in his chest at the thought of actually having her killed…something about not seeing that girl again made him feel empty somehow. As if the lights had been doused. It was rather irritating and completely rude of his mind but he couldn’t shake off his obsession and his need to teach her a lesson that she would never forget, a lesson that he hoped would make her his.

And his alone.

The thought of Blaise Zabini running his dark hands over what he had claimed as his, drove Draco mad with hatred and he couldn’t fathom their connection. What had transpired between them in that pantry that would bring such a glow to that girl’s entire face? What had that bastard done to her that Draco apparently couldn’t provide? It was ridiculous to assume that Zabini had anything that could tempt Greengrass that he himself couldn’t buy, or steal or bribe for.

If she had only agreed to be what he had wanted, Draco would have had no issue at all with spoiling her until the only things in the world that mattered were his gifts and the pleasures he could have given her. But that stubborn fool had promptly told him no… _three_ times tonight! He still couldn’t understand it and while he had effectively ruined her family’s chances somewhat at slithering into pureblood society, there was still much to do.

Irritated and hating how his parents had confined him to his room until his father decided how to properly hurt him, Draco slid out of his massive bed and flung his silver sheets back. There was no way in hell that he was going to wait around for his father to slime his way into his bedroom and properly punish him.

He was certain that he wouldn’t be able to walk for days. The sorts of punishments that his father usually had in mind included long treks around the Malfoy estate, through rugged woods and icy creeks until his body was hanging by a thread. And when that wasn’t enough, his father would drag him properly by the hair back into the Manor and into the basement where the weights, fencing and other horrid supplies awaited.

Draco would be forced to fight his father with his fists, bare knuckled and weak until he was properly pummeled into submission and he cursed fluently before padding along the large expanse of his room. Elegant, antique furniture littered every surface and the Persian carpet under his bare feet was as large as anyone else’s. He barely paid a glance to his monstrous marble fireplace. If he wanted, he could perhaps go to Pansy’s and work off some of his tension but he doubted if his parents had been foolish enough to leave a handy bowl of Floo powder within his grasp.

And no doubt Pansy wouldn’t want to see him anyway. After Greengrass had fled from him, as vicious and beautiful as some sort of nightmare, Draco had waited for the ache in his loins to ease before going after her, nothing but rage on his mind. Thinking that she might have hidden upstairs and into an empty bedroom, he’d stomped upstairs, looking underneath every available surface, every corner and kicking open many a room and not finding her.

He had however, found Pansy waiting for him here, in his own bedroom and he’d been so horrified to find her without any clothes that he’d paled drastically. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Draco had asked, averting his eyes. Though he had seen her nude on many an occasion before, he had long lost his interest for her.

It was something that she just hadn’t been able to understand. And because he knew that her eyes were only on his Galleons, his cynicism only increased. Women were all such fools and Pansy had instantly known from the look on his face that the sight of her standing in the center of the room in nothing but her skin hadn’t been entirely wise. “…I thought that maybe you’d cheat. I don’t really want to be bothered with Theodore.”

Draco had looked down at his feet for a moment before considering her and raking his eyes over her figure. While it was known far and wide that Pansy was no beauty, her body really was something to be salivated after but he had seen nothing but Greengrass in her place… “I’m afraid that I’ll have to decline on that offer, Pansy.”

“Why?” Pansy had asked embarrassingly, though her anger had shone. With the pools of light coming from his window, her body had glowed beautifully but Draco had seen nothing but Greengrass with her pale skin and the delicate fall of her dark hair….

Draco had wanted her desperately and no other woman would ever be enough until he could have that damn breed. “I’m not interested in furthering another relationship with you. I thought I’d made that apparent before.” He’d said crisply.

Pansy had looked truly stunned by that and had wandered awkwardly in the dark until she had picked up the heap that had been her dress and shoes. The rejection had stunned her because while she was no beauty of course, she was wealthy…a perfect pureblood, “You’re going after Half and Half, aren’t you?” she’d hissed from between her teeth.

Draco had flinched a bit at her words but had watched her dress to distract himself, finding it a damn shame that her face didn’t match. Greengrass was curvy and her face was pretty…her lips softer than silk and her taste sweeter than any treat, “She’s my prey and we have things to…discuss.” He’d said menacingly under his breath.

Pansy had finally managed to put on her dress and yet she’d run her fingers through her hair and she’d been crying by then. Draco abhorred tears, especially from women and he’d recoiled in terror, “Things to discuss? What could you possibly have to discuss with a _breed_?” she’d sneered.

There had been a short pause at the question and Draco hadn’t dared tell her that he intended on finding that girl. And then ripping the green dress from her trembling body, and placing every last inch of himself on her until she said his name. “That’s really none of your concern. And I’d advise you to keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.”

The threat had come out before he could stop them and Pansy had stared at him in complete and utter shock. She’d sobbed before rushing up and shaking out of the room. Her sobs had made him want to vomit because there was nothing quite as revolting as tears from a woman and he had stood there in his room before rushing back out, shutting his door and continuing his search.

It had proved pointless and by the time the others had returned, all of them very well-pleased, Draco had been boiling with fury. He had decided that as they all had been told to leave and gather their coats by a servant—to get a drink. His mother would have frowned but Draco had planned on bullying a servant into getting him a shot of fire whiskey to calm his body down. He’d been on his way down the hall, dark intentions swarming in his mind when he’d seen them.

Zabini and Greengrass— his prey—walking side by side and looking…friendly. Draco had felt a burst of fury and jealousy at the sight before hiding and waiting for her to come to him and he’d intended on shaking her until her head banged severely against the wall. But instead…he’d practically begged.

He, Draco Lucius Malfoy had practically begged that damn breed to accept his offer. But Greengrass had given him nothing but defiance. And while it had aroused him to no end she’d told him no; as if she could really afford to be picky. Draco was fascinated, humiliated and enraged and he intended on ruining Astoria Greengrass for what she had done to him. And that cruel thought brought a sinister smile to his lips.

Irritably, he walked to a chair and snatched a robe from the back and slid into it before going to his door and yanking it open. Warily, he stuck his head out to make sure that his father wasn’t prowling darkly down the hall but when he saw no sign of him, Draco made his way out and softly closed his door before making his way downstairs.

The Dark Lord had arrived not too long after the party had ended and he’d been dragging some woman with him. His Aunt Bella had been roaring with laughter and while Draco’s mother had stopped him from following, he hadn’t wanted to. There had been something cold and foul about the sight of a helpless woman being drug and ruining the polish on their marble floor but he now shook that disturbing though out of his mind.

As he padded softly down the stairs, his intent to sneak into his father’s room became a very dangerous idea. If his father caught him and saw him prowling his drawers for information on Greengrass and that pauper family, he would most likely beat him until he wouldn’t be able to see straight. But Draco had a feeling that his parents were hiding.

Somehow, the Dark Lord arriving and bringing that woman along with him had frightened them immensely and while it disturbed Draco to no end, he was surprised by it. They had been overjoyed to have the Dark Lord in their ancestral home but Draco had to admit that there was a sense of evil hanging over his home…more so than usual and he wasn’t certain if he should be wary or afraid.

Thoughtful of that and looking around carefully to make sure that he wasn’t being followed or seen by any servant or roaming Death Eater, Draco made his way across the foyer before heading down an adjacent hallway. His father’s study had always terrified him as a child when he would be summoned there for behaving improperly or behaving foully but Draco now found himself beyond that sort of fear.

He had many other horrible things to worry about that dulled the little spankings and firm scolding that he had been given as a boy and as he walked down the darkness to the tall, mahogany door, Draco inhaled. After exhaling slowly, he placed his hand on the knob and twisted experimentally and was surprised when it opened for him but thought vaguely that because of the Dark Lord’s presence, there would be no secrets.

Briefly glad of that, Draco stepped inside and slowly clicked the door shut before turning and looking around. His father’s study hadn’t changed much in the past few years and he was eerily reminded of some sort of dark, turbulent hole from the pit of Hell and it caused him to chill over with unease.

While Draco had allowed some color into his own lounge, his father’s study was dark and foreboding with ancient furniture and display cases filled with various Dark Arts tools, many of them having killed Muggles. A smile came into his mouth at the thought before he pressed towards the massive monstrosity that was his father’s dark desk, the surface bare except for a few photos of Draco and his mother.

Draco’s mother was insistent that his father always have them near for luck and the only reason his father had relented was because his mother had threatened never to speak to him again. And because he had sensed that she’d also threatened never to pleasure him as well, he had tuned the rest of that conversation out, much too unnerved as to why his father had looked so distraught.

Shuddering at the unholy images that ran through his mind, Draco walked carefully over to the desk before looking around at the bookshelf behind it. He was curious to touch but he didn’t need the distraction but something called to him from that space and tentatively, he walked over and ran his palm over the edges of leather tomes, flimsy scroll-like spines. His fingers pressed heavily on a loose space until something gave way. Draco jumped a bit but it was nothing but a cubby hole that was disturbingly similar to the one he had had in his own lounge. A delightful breath of air rushed out of him as he pulled out the obstructive books.

After removing them and sticking his hand inside of a wide, dark hole; his fingertips brushed against something. A book of course and he eagerly removed it before flipping it open. Thick, old parchments met his gaze and he read his father’s handwriting, now seeing proof of every nasty, back alley transaction his father had been a part of over the last twenty or so years.

There were names, acts and debts piled high…notes here and there that made Draco briefly wonder what sort of monster his father was before he impatiently hunted for Greengrass’s name. It took a very long time as he flipped through the book, as it turned out to be some homemade material but he eventually stopped short as he saw the name, GREENGRASS in bold script. Draco instantly found himself reading as much as he could and stopped on the father’s history:

_**Name: Maximus Greengrass** _

_**Age: forty-five** _

_**Blood-status: Pureblood; father and mother are deceased from unusual causes, names unknown** _ _._

Draco paused a bit as he read this and wondered what the hell that meant and had an unnerving image of Maximus Greengrass murdering his parents and burying them in his back garden. Shuddering and unsettled as the image made him wonder too deeply, he continued on reading:

_**Siblings: Tiberius Greengrass (Believed to be a permanent resident of St. Mungo’s from unknown curse damage), Caligula Greengrass (Deceased from unusual circumstances), Hera Greengrass (Believed to be dead, as she has been missing for nearly ten years)** _

_**Ministry occupation: Head of the Department of Potioneers and Distribution** _

Draco paused again and could only imagine what sort of horrid potions that man was coming up with and he idly thought of exploding heads…withering droughts that left a man empty and void of life and for some reason he had a feeling that Maximus Greengrass felt very much at home. A chill came over him because he didn’t trust that man near his father and his children…his children….his eyes glanced down to the parchment again:

_**Marital Status: Married to Adele Greengrass, formerly known as Adele Selwyn (Pureblood with no siblings. Both parents deceased from natural causes)** _

_**Children:**_ ~~ _ **Leo Greengrass**_~~ _ **, Scorpious Greengrass, Emily Greengrass**_ :

Draco looked up in confusion before flipping the page to see a hastily scrawled note from his father and he could feel his father’s disgust even on the faded ink as he read: _**Though not uncommon, Maximus Greengrass has one other daughter; Astoria or Asteria Greengrass, the only half-blood in the home**_ :

Somehow, Draco knew that that wasn’t really the case but he had never heard of this Leo Greengrass before. When he flicked back to the page, he saw that the name was scratched out, there wasn’t a note so his father hadn’t gotten any word on what had happened to him. But it was obvious that Leo Greengrass was no longer a part of the home and he wondered if the boy had been eaten alive. The thought was foolish because these notes seemed old and for all Draco knew, he might have run away or changed his name so as not to be associated with such fools and their breed of a daughter.

Plenty of families in the past had done something similar but something was nagging on him because he could find no trace of his Half and Half anywhere…she was just _there_. Sometimes it wasn’t hard to find out whom the bastard belonged to but there was nothing on the breed— no nasty little side note from his father and though Draco had known her since Hogwarts, he had never once heard anything about where she’d come from.

Astoria Greengrass was just there, like some sort of disease and Draco had to have answers, he had to know _everything_. But he swallowed hard before closing the book and setting it back into its hole and covering it back.

For some reason, his fingers shook and he made sure that everything was in place before he backed slowly from his father’s study and walked quickly down the dark expanse of the hallway. Sweat was breaking out along his forehead and he couldn’t detect where this fear was coming from…where this fright was centered and he was so entangled in it that he barely detected a figure coming down to him.

Draco stared in unease as his Aunt Bella angled down, looking as crazed as ever with a fierce stretch of lines that made up her mouth. “ _There_ you are,” she said to him crisply. “I checked your room and you were no longer in bed.”

“Am I needed for something?” Draco asked while acutely aware of how under dressed he was and how she seemed to sneer at him. She didn’t care much for him and he knew that while his mother loved him, her cold hearted sister did not, “I was merely headed to the kitchen.”

Aunt Bella had a sunken look to a once beautiful face and her thick black hair hung lank and dead around her skull. Heavy lids shielded the dark horror that were her empty eyes but he still felt a prickle of disgust, “The Dark Lord wanted me to inform you of our next meeting, as you _are_ a Death Eater now.”

There was an obvious tone of shame in her voice and Draco wondered why she would have sought him out at such a time but there had been many meetings at all hours of the night. “When is it?” he found himself whispering.

“In approximately one hour.” Aunt Bella said and just then, Draco heard the most horrible scream and he looked away from her and saw Wormtail, that little slime, dragging the woman from earlier. She was kicking and screaming and though he could hear more voices, something in him told his body to flee for all he was worth, “you may want to dress.”

Draco felt himself trembling from the tips of his fingers down to the soles of his feet but he nodded curtly before finding a question tumbling from his lips. “Are you…aware of the Greengrass family?”

Aunt Bella had been turning from him to go into the dining room, the servants having cleaned up the mess from the disaster that dinner had been. “Greengrass? You mean those pauper fools…yes, I’ve heard of them. _Why_?” she asked him coldly, finding the question lacking.

“What are they?” Draco asked her abruptly. Aunt Bella quirked her brow at him a bit and he stammered stupidly, his nerve somehow bouncing along in his skull, “there was a slight altercation here and I find myself wondering if they can be trusted.”

“If you find yourself wanting to know, find out, Draco. Everything is in your disposal now, for I won’t even bother to send any of our soldiers out on some childish hunch you may have.” Aunt Bella said dismissively and Draco felt a burst of dislike. “What else are servants for if you can’t _use_ them?” she asked nastily before floating away, dark robes dancing around her thin, emaciated frame.

By now, the screaming woman that Wormtail had been dragging was in the dining room and there was a blast of light. Someone had done something to her and her screaming ceased but Draco found himself running blindly back upstairs to his room and once he opened the door to his bedroom, he braced his back against it, panting.

The tumbling thoughts of the Greengrass family and now this…it all seemed like some sort of horrid nightmare. But he had to prove himself and he swallowed hard before pushing off of his door and then spending a few moments dressing. When he was finished, he decided that he would take his aunt’s advice and have a servant pay a little extra attention to Greengrass and her family…he had to know. He just had to know everything.

…….

“You must know, Astoria that the business is very important to me.” Astoria heard her father say in a calm, if not cold voice and she looked up at him blankly. They were sitting together in their small sitting room on the same night, her head aching and her need for sleep after the horrid events making her so weary that she could barely hold her head up, “ _very_ important.”

Astoria inhaled and wondered why she felt so much dread overtaking her body because this was not the first time that her father had talked to her. The radical views that she had about Muggles, the War and so many other things had caused ripples here and there but he hardly paid attention to what she wanted that they were very far and in between, “Yes, Dad,” she whispered.

Maximus Greengrass was a pleasant man to the outside world and while he could be very kind and she truly loved him as only a child could, Astoria had to admit that she sometimes despised him. It was in moments like this, with him across from her on the sofa— her little body seated in a chair with an erect back— that she hated the way he spoke to her. “Your supposed actions tonight, which I find completely ridiculous, posed a great risk for us.”

“I _was_ alone in a pantry with Zabini but it wasn’t what you might have thought. We really were hiding from Malfoy,” Astoria explained hastily as her father’s blue eyes narrowed with anger. “Dad, I know more than anyone how important the business is.”

Oh, did she know. The zoos and parties that they were forced to attend in the hopes that she and her siblings would land a pureblood marriage had been beaten into her from the moment she could even walk, their finances and their father’s sick need for prey were very essential to their survival.

“I believe you, Astoria. But you caused quite the disruption,” her father said sternly and his voice seemed to wash over her like some sort of toxic spray. Astoria felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising a bit, “Emily told me how you caused a disturbance between young Malfoy and that other boy.”

Astoria found herself oddly defensive and said shortly. “You mean _Zabini_.”

That had her father’s eyes narrowing in a warning and she silenced herself and wished that he hadn’t sent Scorpious out on an assignment. But apparently there was a pureblood man going around various villages kidnapping young girls and the client, one of the girls’ fathers had been quite desperate when he’d come by shortly after they’d come home.

Because of their back alley associates in Knockturn Alley, quite a few people knew that the Greengrass family did. But because it was such a sickening job and many people longed to forget about their evil deeds, it remained a secret. And the few that had told had been killed, but on most occasions, Scorpious took pity on them and Obliviated their memories behind their father’s back.

Killing people for money…lying, thieving, seducing, extortion, blackmail…Astoria knew what her family did for a living very well. And because she read so many Muggle novels from Diana, she was able to learn that Muggles would call them gangsters. Astoria was ashamed to know that her family had been filled with dark secrets for quite some time.

There’d been a moment where Emily had informed her that their great-grandmother might have been some sort of courtesan. She had poisoned her way to riches beyond understanding and while Astoria had been truly horrified, her sister had sounded admiring. There were other things in her family aside from the fact that her brother was a hired killer and that her father seemed to hold the underbelly of the Wizarding world in the palm of his hand. Astoria would rather not dwell on those things.

“Zabini…I know the name. But I would rather not have you taint yourself with a traitor, Astoria, we must keep up appearances, and I don’t want to find out that you’ve lied to me. Ever.” Her father warned severely.

Astoria wanted to glare at him and tell him to go to Hell but she could do no such thing and she knew that the little scrap of parchment with Zabini’s address _would_ remain a secret. He had made her happy for one reason or another and she wouldn’t let her father destroy that, no matter if it were more of a risk on her part for…consorting with a pureblood. “Yes, Dad,” she said meekly.

“Don’t be so put out with me, pet. You know how much I love you but I have to keep you, out of everyone else, safe and I would much rather put Mr. Blaise Zabini behind me and ask you to set your sights on someone more suitable.” Her father said firmly and Astoria gave him a look, her heart hammering with terror, “…why not young Malfoy?”

Astoria would kill Emily, figuratively speaking and she felt her cheeks exploding in a blush and her father’s lips twitched. He found her highly amusing, “I’ll do no such thing! I _despise_ him!” she cried unthinkingly.

Her father frowned at her and she pushed herself back into her chair and swallowed hard and wondered if he would poison her. But that was foolish because if he killed Astoria, her mother would kill him and that would only leave a mess, “I’m very aware of that but I was unable to ignore his rather unsettling interest in you. Perhaps… if the fates are kind, you will invite him to dinner.”

It was a command and Astoria found herself laughing incredulously. “But he would never court _me_! I’m a half-blood!” she cried, this being a relief. “His parents would never allow it.”

“Perhaps we can work around that…” her father murmured darkly and his true intentions for her became clear and she could have fainted from disgust and hatred. “Whatever you’ve done to attract young Malfoy, I implore you to give in, Astoria. The more distracted that fool is the better for me to destroy his father and place him in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix.”

Astoria couldn’t believe that he had said those words and hot tears started to burn into her eyes and she found herself standing. “I’ll do no such thing.” Her father looked at her wearily, as if he found her stubbornness aggravating, “what about what _I_ want?”

“I’m quite sure that young Malfoy will provide—” her father started. Astoria felt one tear sliding down her cheek and she shook her head in denial, wondering how someone who was supposed to be her parent could disregard her so callously. “I need you to stop being so selfish and childish…you are a _Greengrass_. The business will not suffer. I will not allow it.”

Astoria stood where she was, her chest heaving and tears streaming freely down her cheeks before she jerked her head at him. “Am I dismissed?”

Her father seemed to sense that she could no longer be breached for tonight and he nodded his head at her and she ran as fast as she could from the room and back into the front of the house. Pausing briefly, she shot him a heated glare before running up the stairs and down the hall towards her bedroom, ignoring Emily as she came out of her own bedroom, “Stori—?” she asked in confusion.

“I don’t want to be like _you_!” Astoria shouted brokenly from over her shoulder and her sister’s green eyes grew wide and hurt before she managed to reach her room. After yanking the door open, she sobbed uncontrollably before saying sharply; “Aradelle!” and she slammed the door shut with a crack.

The family’s house-elf appeared instantly and she stared up at Astoria worriedly, her big blue eyes glassy. She wore a finely pressed flowered curtain as a dress, “Yes, Mistress Stori?”

“Please get this horrid dress off me and pack my Hogwarts trunk and make sure that you pack most of my clothes.” Astoria commanded and her house-elf looked stunned. “Do _not_ tell anyone what I’m asking you to do, that’s an order,” Aradelle was a very good companion and she nodded her head before helping Astoria out of her constricting green dress.

After she flung it away and stood in her underwear for a moment, her fingers still clutching Zabini’s address, his handkerchief falling to the floor, she was asked. “And where is Mistress Stori going?”

Astoria didn’t know where she was going exactly but she wasn’t going to stay one more minute in her family’s home. How could he do this to her? She was supposed to be his _daughter_! The life of a Greengrass was a tainted mess and she never should have thought that she would matter so much to the man when this night would have come one way or another. But to carelessly offer her to Malfoy… _Draco_ Malfoy…made her squirm with disgust and hatred.

She couldn’t bear it after what she had had to deal with at the Manor tonight, after getting such a sweet revenge on Malfoy only to be devoured anyway on a silver platter, legs splayed for whatever he wanted. Bitterness curled into her body as she stomped over to her dresser and yanking open a few drawers to find something suitable to wear.

Muggle clothes wouldn’t do so she found a long, comfortable ankle-length pink dress before finding decent traveling robes and yanking them on. Aradelle was busying herself with magically adding clothes, books, toiletries and dozens of other things into her Hogwarts trunk and Astoria made herself busy by looking underneath some blouses for her allowance money.

The Greengrass family didn’t have much but Astoria had been saving her Galleons for an emergency and she now held the large sack in her hand thoughtfully before placing it into her robe pocket. Hurriedly, she crossed to her bathroom and spent a few minutes scrubbing the makeup from her face, pulling the pins from her hair and forcing the brown locks into a loose braid.

When she came back out, Aradelle had her things all ready for her and there was an apprehensive look to her face. “Is Mistress Stori wanting me to come with her?” she asked anxiously. Astoria thought of the risk it would be for Aradelle to come with her but she knew that it was a risk no matter where she was going.

Her parents would use nothing in their disposal to find her but she would not come back home…she just couldn’t stand it and no matter if she was a Greengrass…there was just no way in Hell that she was mating with Malfoy. Disgust welled inside of her but she nodded at her house-elf, “Yes but you mustn’t tell where I’m going, Aradelle. No matter what, I’m to remain a secret.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Aradelle said with a bobbing curtsy. Astoria looked down at the sea of green on her carpet where her dress lay before fishing out Zabini’s handkerchief. She raised it to her nose and inhaled…it still smelt like crisp trees and sandalwood and for a moment she was in pure heaven before she got a hold of herself, “Take me directly to this address, Aradelle.”

When Aradelle received the address, her eyes bugged out of her skull but nodded and after Astoria gathered her things and took her hand, they Disapparated. There was a dizzying effect but after it faded, she was able to detect fresh leaves and the tinkling sound of a fountain before she opened her eyes to stare determinedly ahead.

Looming imposingly in the distance was the one place that her family would never think that she would go and Astoria inhaled for strength before making her way towards the only sanctuary she had left. The sprawling luxury of the Zabini Estate was all that she had to hope for now.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


	7. The Zabini Estate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate, Astoria seeks help from her strange companion and is welcomed into a home that holds more mystery than answers

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Chapter 7

The Zabini Estate

The Zabini Estate was a sprawling mansion done in a stylish Victorian fashion that Astoria had seen from books that her mother had forced her to read. She’d said that she would need to know more about how purebloods spent their money when she became the wife of one but now Astoria tossed that memory away as she took in her surroundings.

The tinkling of water that she had heard had come from a fountain. She saw a beautiful white marble fixture that depicted a male angel cradling the body of a fallen woman, her tears falling into the pool at their feet. It was a very beautiful piece of art, though unnerving in its own way and Astoria found herself staring at lifeless white eyes for a long time before she looked away. There was a decent moon out when she looked up but decided that it didn’t matter whether it was nice out or not after what she had just done, what horrible things might happen to her later.

Shuddering, Astoria looked around her again, and was able to see that the mansion was surrounded by small woods and the stone path leading to the front of the house. It was covered in dead leaves. Astoria was reminded of her own life. Whatever dreams that she had had probably looked similar to those leaves. A wave of depression washed over her before she flung it away into the darkness of her mind and she clenched her Hogwarts trunk.

Aradelle was looking up at her worriedly and Astoria knew that they had been rather lucky that there’d been no Anti-Apparition wards up. Perhaps house-elf Apparition was different from the sort of magic that witches and wizards used and she said firmly, “Please inform Blaise Zabini that Astoria Greengrass wishes to speak to him Aradelle. Make sure that you’re not seen and don’t come back out until you’ve found him.”

“Mistress, I am not certain if this place is safe.” Aradelle said worriedly and she still held her hand in hers before Astoria gently released it. “ _Purebloods_ …” the house-elf murmured in disgust.

Astoria felt the same. Never in her life had she ever thought that she, Astoria Greengrass would be seeking the help and safety from a pureblood that she knew nothing about, “Please, dear, I know what I’m doing.” And this was a complete lie because she had no idea what would happen next.

Aradelle was treated very kindly back at home and her mistress’s fierce expression must have frightened her but she nodded. “Yes Mistress,” before Disapparating with a loud crack.

Astoria was left in the cold with the wind rushing through her. Her traveling cloak was old but it was warm enough as she inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself and not break into a peel of sobs at the thought of what she had just done.

“… _.You have no guts Greengrass to do what you like. Your family is a real hindrance on you, aren’t they?”_ Zabini’s words couldn’t have been more true but Astoria could no longer be involved with what they intended for her.

The force of her betrayal made her wince but Astoria couldn’t accept what her father wanted her to do; she just couldn’t be like Emily. She loved her sister dearly but she had grown to accept her life and she liked the way it was, with the parties and dances and men.

Astoria’s mother would be sick with worry but she also knew that she would mostly worry for what she might say or do. They had many enemies from their transactions, from the people that they had been paid to murder but she didn’t need to worry about her daughter telling anyone. She may not want to be a part of their life, but she still loved them.

And yet the only person that she truly worried for was Scorpious, the only brother she had. Her older brother would tear apart the world until he found her and Astoria gnawed on her lower lip worriedly, he had such a temper. She would send him an owl of course but she worried if that were even a right thing to do, their father controlled their mail and the horrible thought of their father finding out where she was caused her breath to catch.

“… _The business will not suffer. I will_ not _allow it.”_ Her father had said and she felt a surge of hatred for the fact that he could probably care less, very deep down, if she were hurt. Astoria felt a tear rolling down her cheek and she didn’t bother wiping it away.

“Greengrass?” Zabini’s voice whispered through the dark night and Astoria looked up and found herself watching as he walked down to her, hastily pulling on a coat to protect himself from the chilly air.

Aradelle was beside him and she was wringing her hands nervously and shooting him covert glances of pure disgust, as she had been trained to be polite, but to hate purebloods as strongly as everyone else in Astoria’s household. “I have brought the young Master Zabini, Mistress Stori,” she said to her proudly.

“Thank you so much, dear.” Astoria said to her.

Zabini ignored the exchange as he managed to pull himself into his coat and his voice sounded harsh and filled with concern. “What are you doing here?”

Astoria was mesmerized because even without all of his fancy dress robes, he was still handsome…still managing to fascinate her. Somehow, a blush spread into her cheeks but she declared firmly, “I need you.” Zabini’s brow rose at the words and if she didn’t know any better, she had caught him off guard and he might have actually blushed. “I really need you.”

“You need me to do… _what_ exactly?” Zabini asked while shaking off whatever thoughts had transpired in his mind. He had finally reached her and stood a polite few feet from her though she could hear every word he said, “I have to tell you that this is most unexpected.”

Astoria bowed her head in embarrassment as her nerves threatened to overwhelm her but she found herself saying. “Thank you for what you did back at the Malfoy’s, you didn’t have to lie for me when I know that you wanted to fully become a traitor.”

Zabini hadn’t been expecting this and he tilted his head at her oddly before taking her in and though it was darker and the moonlight was fading, he somehow was able to sense her distress. A frown spread over his face. “You look unwell. Please come inside,” he motioned absently at the imposing structure and Astoria balked. “I’ll take you to the sitting room.”

The thought of being inside of a purebloods home made a burst of revulsion go over her but she fought it down. She didn’t want that to stop her any longer, her life was on the line, “I-I couldn’t.” Astoria murmured thickly. She needed somewhere to hide for a moment and she couldn’t be foolish but she felt such a resistance, “Zabini, please—”

“ _Please_?” Zabini asked in alarm and his dark eyes were wide. “What on earth happened to you, Greengrass? That’s not exactly the sort of thing I’d ever thought would come from your mouth.”

Astoria swallowed hard but more tears fell from her eyes. “I would rather not discuss it.” She said tightly but Zabini was staring at her curiously, finding this much emotion simply astounding.

There was a slight silence while Aradelle fussed over her, asking in low whispers if she needed anything but Astoria shook her head politely. Zabini watched the interaction with her house-elf in bemusement, apparently used to the poor things being treated cruelly by their owners, “I’m completely fascinated…” he murmured and Astoria gave him a weary look. “I can’t have you standing outside in this cold. Come inside, Greengrass.”

“I-if I come inside with you will you let me stay?” Astoria asked him abruptly. Zabini’s eyes widened and he stared at her, completely at a loss for words to describe how deeply she had shocked him and she felt like such a fool. “I ran away from home. I don’t have anywhere to go and I won’t be a bother to you—I’ll leave in the morning, I promise.”

Zabini was staring hard at her as if she weren’t really there and he took a step forward before reaching out and touching her cheek. It was nothing but a faint touch but Aradelle snapped, “Do _not_ touch Mistress Stori, filthy pureblood!”

Astoria felt his finger jerk but she flushed as he moved a bit closer, until she was forced to stare more deeply into his face. His eyes were darker than the night around them and for a moment she couldn’t breathe before he murmured softly, “You _are_ real, then.”

Aradelle was fuming. “You must _not_ touch my Mistress Stori!”

“It’s all right, Aradelle,” Astoria assured her weakly.

Zabini didn’t respond to Aradelle and merely stared into her face and continued to stare until she turned red and angled her head away. It was embarrassing the way he could make her heart flutter and she longed for it to leave her, she had no time for foolishness now, “For a moment I thought I might have been dreaming.” He said and she waited for a moment before he took his finger away from her skin.

Astoria felt a cold wind blowing and she placed a hand over her hair to keep it from snagging wildly into the air. “You’re not dreaming,” she said firmly.

Zabini seemed to think about that before he murmured softly. “Dreaming…that would be nice.”

There was a thick silence after that and Astoria felt her knees wobbling a bit as other destinations floated through her mind. She could go to the Leaky Cauldron but that would be the first place her father would look and because she had no friends and had been told not to indulge in such dangerous things, there was no one for them to write too.

And they would never assume that she would taint the family name and risk the business by being here, with Zabini…who was, still in her father’s eyes and to the Malfoy’s as a traitor. Though they hadn’t said anything, Astoria had sensed that they hadn’t believed him at all, “And you don’t have to thank me for defending you at Malfoy’s home. I would have done it regardless but I fear that they may have their eyes on me regardless.” Zabini said.

“It’s my fault, I know. But my dad…” Astoria murmured and Zabini muttered something rather foul under his breath that made her wince, “you have to understand that I would never have lied if so much hadn’t been at risk.”

Zabini nodded curtly and logged the words away; perhaps eager to question her on them much later but Astoria would answer nothing. “Why have you run from home? You’re rather brave, I must say, I didn’t think that you would have the guts to defy your family.”

Astoria felt a bit of irritation grasp her and she snapped. “Well, I don’t see _you_ living on your own.” He had already explained the why to her earlier in the pantry but it still caused his lips to twitch with a bit of annoyance.

“Touché,” Zabini said dryly. Astoria licked at her lips nervously and he once again said, “come inside, Greengrass. I’ll take care of you for a while and we’ll see what we can do.”

Aradelle looked scandalized. “Mistress Stori is not going to be staying with a _pureblood_!” she cried to Astoria, eyes wide with horror.

“Aren’t you going to ask me more questions before you let me into your house?” Astoria demanded out of Zabini even though she was elated. “Aren’t you scared that this might be a trick?”

“No.” Zabini said firmly. “You’re not that foul, Greengrass.” He noted assuredly.

Astoria swallowed hard at this. “But you don’t know me—”

Zabini sighed wearily and she longed to know what went on in his mind, what plagued him and she swallowed nervously. A rock seemed to have clogged in her throat, “I consider myself your friend and while that frightens you for whatever reason, I’m sickeningly loyal.”

“But this could be a trick!” Astoria cried, finding him to be the most confusing creature on the face of the earth. She swallowed again, the rock in her throat sliding down, “I could be handing you over to the Ministry—you could be in Azkaban!”

Zabini seemed to have already thought about this and his eyes scanned around for a moment in the darkness, catching her bluff easily. “Alarms would have gone off if a witch or wizard Apparated onto my property, house-elf magic is different so it wouldn’t have been detected.” Astoria glowered at him for a moment at this truth, still clambering with nerves, “you wouldn’t have risked coming to me if you’re intention was to cause harm.”

Astoria didn’t want to inform him that her very presence here to could cause him harm down the line of her family found out where she was. If her father didn’t kill him based on some sort of misunderstanding, then Scorpious would and he’d make sure that he was awake while it was happening and that terrified her, “…You’re mental.”

“Very true.” Zabini replied lazily and Astoria had a feeling that he was making fun of her or trying to get under her skin. “Anyone can tell that you’re running. Those tears and that rumpled attire reeks of desperation…I respect it and I won’t take no for an answer, Greengrass.” He said stiffly and she felt as if he’d properly handled her, as if she were a naughty child, “its rude to dawdle outside alone with a woman and I am kindly asking you to enter my home.”

Astoria had a feeling that manners were very important to him and she bowed her head a bit, unable to say anything. Aradelle was fretting worriedly but she said to her kindly, “This is goodbye, Aradelle. I won’t be back home and you mustn’t tell anyone where I am or give any clues.”

“But Mistress Stori,” Aradelle said now, looking panicked while sending Zabini a hate filled look that had him blinking in surprise by her boldness. “It’s a _pureblood_ ,”

Astoria placed her hand lightly on the creature’s head and said firmly. “Go home, Aradelle and go through your days like you always would. That’s an order.” Aradelle looked as if she might cry and she even felt her throat constricting but her house-elf nodded jerkily before leaving with a pop, Astoria’s hand falling weakly away.

“You’ve even trained the _house-elves_ to despise purebloods. Such a curious family you have, Greengrass.” Zabini murmured and Astoria sent him a sharp look at his tone but he was offering her his arm politely. “Well?”

Astoria felt an inborn shudder at the thought of touching him but she fought back her bile and allowed her arm to be linked with his. Zabini kept a distance between them and his grip was nothing short of polite and respectful even though he had learned his lesson from touching her before, she could sense that his politeness was not so easily ignored. “...I’ll leave in the morning.”

Zabini started walking with her towards the front of the house and he seemed to find her insistence rather amusing. “I want to know why you’ve come to me with a full trunk, Greengrass. You’re putting yourself at such a risk and while I’ll commend you for it, I have to say that it was rather foolish.”

“I know it was.” Astoria hissed between her teeth. “But I need somewhere to stay.”

“And where will you go?” Zabini asked calmly as they walked up ancient stone steps to the front of the door. The wood was beautifully painted and Astoria noticed lanterns ablaze on the wraparound porch that she hadn’t noted before, “do you have money?”

Astoria hadn’t counted the Galleons in her savings but she knew that it wasn’t much and she would be at Hogwarts in a matter of days. A week to be exact and while it was only a few days, there were other things that she had to worry about, like where the path to her dorm would be and she feared that her father’s contact that usually sent the information would divulge too much.

Astoria swallowed hard and hated the thought of sliming into the Slytherin common room and sharing a dorm with pureblood girls…like Parkinson and Travers. But she shook that thought off and decided not to worry for right now because she really had nowhere else to go and staying at the Leaky Cauldron would be very expensive, “…I have enough.”

Zabini took the lie for what it was worth before opening the door to his home and ushering her inside first. He briefly turned to shut the door and Astoria was fascinated by the grandeur of his home, while not being on the scale of the Malfoy’s or some of the other pureblood homes that she had seen, it was still quite nice.

The furniture was more modern in the living room that was adjacent to them, as they stood together in the foyer and was a lot larger than the one she had at home. When Astoria looked away, she noted a winding staircase leading up to a floor of rooms above and she thought of the four bedroom that they had at her own home and felt like a mouse in a villa. Uncomfortable, she looked down to see that the floors were of a dark, polished variety and as she looked up, there was a grand candle lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Unlike the gaudiness of the Malfoy Manor, Astoria saw that things in his home were more muted, the colors less intense…less bright. But it all gave her a sense of comfort and ease that may have a few surprises lurking underneath the surface. It suited Zabini very well.

There was a fireplace in the foyer and it was very large, far larger than the one she had been accustomed to at home. They must have used it specifically for traveling by Floo and Astoria swallowed a bit and wondered if her father would somehow find himself there, standing in the grate, “Would you like some tea?” Zabini asked gently.

Astoria blinked in surprise and nodded jerkily at him as he took her Hogwarts trunk with one hand and started leading her out of the foyer. Her eyes searched around and she saw family portraits on the walls of his relatives and they watched her with narrowed eyes, some of them peering more closely and one woman barked at Zabini, “Who is this?”

“None of your concern, Great-Grandmother. Go back to being dead.” Zabini snapped back at the woman, pausing. Astoria noticed that the woman’s eyes were very dark like his own but her skin was a smoky brown, perhaps from many times out in the sun.

Astoria didn’t have family portraits back at her own house. There were reasons for it of course because her dad had done horrible things to most of his family but because her mother had found it uncomfortable, he had taken them down before she’d come around.

At least, that was what Scorpious had told her a few times. There was a short pause as the woman fanned herself, her robes puffing out over a large chest, “How rude of you! Blaise Thaddeus Zabini you fool!” the old woman hissed.

“I know. I’m the most awful thing on the face of the earth.” Zabini spat back calmly without looking back at it. He continued on walking with the portrait in a huff.

Astoria looked at more of the portraits of his relatives because those were who they had to be…though none of them even looked the same. After passing by a grumpy man that glared at her coldly, she found herself asking, “Are these your family?”

Zabini stiffened at the question but nodded a bit and as they crossed out of an elegant dining room, very small in comparison to the Malfoy’s, he said dryly. “You’re probably wondering how I turned out black, aren’t you?” Astoria made a spluttering noise at his rudeness. “Technically, I suppose I’d be half and if you’ve looked closely at my mother you’d note that she’s Italian.”

Astoria hadn’t really paid much attention to Helena Zabini because those sorts of things had never mattered to her. She’d only noted on occasion that their dark eyes were the same, “I see but I don’t care about that sort of thing, it’s ridiculous.”

“Why, you’re so kind.” Zabini said with a hint of what might have been a laugh and Astoria had a feeling that he was surprised. Perhaps he hadn’t been so well-treated by his supposed friends in the past and she could imagine Malfoy making a rude comment, “my father was French and he was black. I’m not sure what happened to him, though I’m almost certain that he’s buried somewhere in a deep, dark hole.”

Astoria didn’t like the sound of that, or the casual way he said it and she thought of all the people that her father and brother had buried alive. She had never seen it of course but Emily had been kidnapped so many times that she’d grown weary of watching her captors being disposed of and had slipped one evening and had told her too much.

A closeted space had never been Astoria’s friend after that conversation. “And you live alone with your mother?” she asked.

Zabini had a sneer in his voice as they finally walked into a very large, spaciously cleaned kitchen. It still had none of the flair of Muggle inventions but Astoria also no sign of a servant or house-elf, “Not necessarily.” He said tightly and she stood awkwardly at the doorway. “Come inside, Greengrass and take a seat.”

Astoria saw an island and a few bar stools and she made her way over to one and sat down awkwardly. Zabini had placed her trunk down by a wall, “Not necessarily. So you must have siblings then?”

“You can call that horrid monster my sibling if you wish, but I’d advise you not to look too deeply in her eyes, as you may die.” Zabini said coldly and Astoria felt a chill as he moved about in the kitchen, taking out a teapot and cups, “are you hungry?”

Just then, her stomach chose to grumble. “…Yes,” Astoria said embarrassingly while wondering idly if he would poison her food. Never trust a pureblood, “but not starving.”

Zabini looked behind her as he filled the teapot with water under the sink and though he didn’t say anything, his lips thinned. “Trust me.” Was all he said and Astoria felt a strange flush overtake her skin before she hastily looked away.

A silence fell between them for a few minutes as he prepared their tea. Zabini made an attempt to speak and informed sourly, “My mother is asleep. I gave her something to knock her out for at least two days, her illness keeps her abed.”

Astoria didn’t hear a drop of worry in his tone and she also felt a burst of relief because she wasn’t sure how she would explain her presence here. Two days without his mother appearing if he were being serious, “There’s no need to tell me that. I’m leaving in the morning.”

“You’re going nowhere.” Zabini said firmly as he walked past her calmly and she swiveled around, about to tell him off for his nerve. But he had gone into a back room that she assumed was the larder and came back with a covered dish before he came back over and set it on the island’s surface, “where do you think that you can go without much money?”

Astoria flushed at this truth and he sent her a challenging look that she had to look away from but his dark eyes flickered suspiciously with amusement. “I have some money. I couldn’t think of anyone else to go to…”

That caused another silence and Zabini seemed oddly curious and Astoria wondered if he were blushing again. But Blaise Zabini did not blush, it was beyond him, “You were thinking of me, then?” he whispered teasingly.

“No!” Astoria snapped embarrassingly even though she had been. His handkerchief was neatly folded in her traveling cloak and she turned pink as he continued to stare…and stare… “Merlin, you’re rude. You shouldn’t stare at people!”

Zabini laughed and turned from her to stand on the opposite side of the island. There was a smile on his face as he teased, “So prickly. You’re like a cactus, Greengrass.”

Astoria frowned at him, her cheeks flaming. “I am _not_ a cactus!”

Zabini sent her a look that she couldn’t quite determine but it had butterflies dancing in her stomach before she grumbled and looked away. A chuckle seeped from his mouth and he made himself busy by uncovering the dish.

Astoria saw thick slices of bread, ham and cheese. It all looked very delicious and her stomach growled a bit but she noted that there were quite a few pieces missing from each stack, “You’re going to get fat.” She accused, knowing that he was the culprit.

Zabini burst out laughing and his cheeks turned a bit red, it was apparent that he had heard that before many times. “I work out Greengrass in nothing but my skin.” Astoria instantly blushed and he laughed at her again, “It’s not true, don’t be so embarrassed.” He indicated the food and she saw that he was trying hard not to make fun of her, “I ate most of it when I got back home but this should be enough for you, I suppose. You’re so thin.”

Astoria couldn’t imagine him eating any more than she had seen him eating earlier and it must have shown because he frowned. “I _don’t_ think you’re fat,” she said hastily and Zabini roared with laughter, “shut up! You looked so concerned—”

“I’m merely a growing boy, Greengrass. And I like to eat,” Zabini said sadly and she felt her lips twitching before she looked stubbornly away from him. There was no explaining why there was such ease between them when they had never spoken before tonight, “a lot. But you’ll see what I mean since you’re staying here.”

It was said in a casual way, as if it had been Astoria’s dream come true. But there was an undertone of firmness that made her wary. The idea of her out in the world on her own must have disturbed him deeply and somewhere in the pit of her heart she was relieved and frightened of that sort of connection to another human being.

“Just until Hogwarts,” Astoria heard herself say impulsively.

“Just until Hogwarts… I’ll have you for a week, then.” Zabini said and he sounded as if that were something that he hadn’t really thought about. “I want to know what caused you to run from home, though with the way your family is, I can’t blame you.”

Astoria flushed at his nerve and he quirked his brow at her as if he found her temper amusing and she inhaled shakily. “You don’t know anything about my family.” Zabini looked rather doubtful. “Really, Zabini…what do you think my family does?” she asked dryly.

Zabini seemed to really consider this and she watched his dark eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he contemplated his answer. Astoria nearly sneered at his audacity, “Your family does something foul, of that I’m certain. Why else would you be so frightened? And always thinking someone is going to kill you?”

Astoria felt a pang at his accuracy but he didn’t know the dark, disgusting details of what her family did and what sort of people they were. There were so many dead men under her father’s belt…he had done so many terrible things, “…That may be true but you don’t need to know anything more. It’s for your own safety, as well as mine.” She said firmly.

“….I don’t like secrets, Greengrass even though I have many of my own. But we’ll keep things between us cordial,” Zabini said and she heard a tone in his voice, as if he disapproved of that arrangement and wanted something more. “You may hate this but I am your friend. Trust works both ways”

Astoria’s heart jumped. “Trust is something I can’t afford.”

Zabini frowned darkly. “You could afford me, Greengrass. I want nothing from you,” he said sincerely and her cheeks turned very red, “I could never leave you alone to suffer. I’ll allow you to stay with me at the Estate for as long as you may need.”

“That would go against what your mother—” Astoria started to cry but Zabini’s face fell and he seemed to glower with hatred. Quickly, she murmured, “I couldn’t…”

Zabini waved that away as if he found her excuses tiresome and ridiculous and she wondered what sort of person he was exactly. There was a lot lurking under the surface and it frightened her even while it intrigued, “What will you do on the holiday?” he asked.

Astoria looked away because she would have to stay at the school, no matter how much it disgusted her. She didn’t enjoy being at school, hidden away like some sort of dirty secret but that was exactly what she was, “I’ll stay at Hogwarts. Even my family can’t touch me there,” but she worried that that may not be true.

Zabini seemed to read her face but he asked her nothing more and seemed to think about what else to say. Slowly, he informed, “By then, I’ll have my inheritance and though I told Mother that I would stay in the house after I graduated, I may break my promise.”

Astoria started to feel her skin prickling and she flicked her violet eyes to his dark brown ones and quirked her brow. “And what are you suggesting? That I move in with you permanently?” the thought was scandalous and she couldn’t imagine living with a man, let alone one she barely knew, “you’re mental. You don’t even know what I’m running from and I could never risk your life like that.”

This was very true because if her father or Scorpious found out about this, they would kill him as slowly as possible. Emily would perhaps smother him and her mother would be left to clean up the mangled remains of his corpse, like so many other times before when a client or enemy had gotten a bit too riled up. “That wasn’t at all what I was suggesting and I can only imagine what you’re running from.” Zabini said dryly, his lips tight. “If you would prefer, I would have nothing against giving you the money that you need to start your own life.”

Astoria was floored into silence by his words and she stared at him in pure astonishment and said with a forced laugh. “But you barely know me! And that’s your money, I could—”

“You’ve never worked a day in your life. No one would hire you at this rate and I’m sorry to say, Greengrass but being a half blood in this sort of ignorant society will deplete your chances.” Zabini said sharply and Astoria winced at this horrid truth. “We’ll both finish with school and perhaps after NEWTs we’ll look for you a job that might satisfy you.”

Astoria couldn’t believe that she was being offered something like this and she felt a prickle of irritation at his nerve to deliver her orders. She wasn’t sure who he thought he was but it rankled her immensely, though he hardly seemed to care, “I don’t have any future plans. My father had thought of my whole life for me.”

Zabini’s eyes narrowed with dislike at the words and scanned her face, perhaps being able to understand more than anyone what it might be like. Though that thought was completely ridiculous because he could never know what it was like to be her, “…Your father doesn’t seem like a pleasant man, I noticed that earlier,” he said.

“You seem to notice too much.” Astoria muttered annoyingly. Zabini’s lips twitched, “what is it with you? Why do you want to know me? We’ve never spoken before tonight and you were part of a gang of people I still despise.”

Zabini was silent for a moment or two before he sighed annoyingly. His lips were pulled up in a little twist that suggested a hint of impatience in him that she hadn’t seen before now, “I’ve given you my answers, Greengrass. We’re alike in some ways and I find you so very curious… if you’re looking for something more romantic, then I’m afraid that I can’t give you much in _that_ regard.” He said dryly, his eyes rolling, “although you are very cute.” Astoria wasn’t sure what to make of him; he was some sort of creature that she had never encountered before.

“And the other purebloods?” Astoria asked, her lip rising.

“I hate them all. Why else would I give their names away to Malfoy’s father?” Zabini asked with a flicker of something unpleasant in his gaze. Astoria frowned suspiciously, “I don’t want to belong in that group again. I already made that clear.”

Astoria could believe him but she found herself asking. “And me?”

Wariness shot up her back while a blush stole into her cheeks at the odd way that he stared at her before he answered. “I have no intention of having any intention of having an intention of hurting you, Greengrass. Take a risk and trust me.” He watched the expressions passing over her face with obvious amusement.

Astoria had forgotten that he noticed a lot about her and she felt a bit of unease worm into her stomach at what else he might have seen or heard. There was so much about her that he already knew just from being near her in a short amount of time, “…I had a fight with my dad, if that’s what you want to hear, Zabini. He wanted me to do something that I could never do.”

Zabini looked as if he might press her for questions but he saw the mortified look on her face and thought better of it. “…I see. And you ran?”

Astoria knew that he was surprised by this and she herself was stunned by her actions but she could never be what her family wanted her to be. Mating with Malfoy for her father’s twisted games had been the last straw and while she felt no pity about the Malfoy family being put into the hands of the Order of the Phoenix, she would not be a pawn in the game. “I may be a Greengrass but I don’t have to follow the choices he makes for me.”

Zabini looked very surprised by this and a smile started to flicker across his face before the teapot whistled noisily. Taking his eyes from her, he went back to the stove and poured them each a steaming cup and brought it to her, “Do you take sugar?” his voice was polite and curious. “Lemon?”

Astoria stared at him in confusion for his politeness, his lack of fear. “….Zabini—”

Zabini ignored her a little and he seemed to find her reluctance to accept their arrangement very annoying. With the way the world was, Astoria could know why but she hated being bound to someone, no matter if he was offering her help, “Or do you take cream?”

Astoria thought for a moment or two and said almost embarrassingly at the way that he was looking at her. “Lemon and just one spoonful of sugar.” She answered and when Zabini left her side to retrieve the items after setting the teacups on the island, she flushed, “I can do it myself.”

“You’re my guest and Merlin only knows what you’ll put in my food.” Zabini said as he came back with a sliced lemon, sugar and a jug of cream. The ice box must be situated back there as well and Astoria frowned only to see that he was grinning, “Easy…”

There was no way that she could become used to this sort of situation and Astoria turned away from him as he came back to her and added a lemon to her tea. After extracting a small spoon from the sugar, he added one spoonful before attending to his own drink and she saw that he poured nearly six drops of sugar and cream into his own, “Your teeth will fall out.” Astoria said worriedly.

Zabini snorted over his tea but drank in a practiced way, in slight little sips that almost had her laughing at him. She sipped her own strongly, “Why the rush?” he asked after lowering his cup.

Astoria was surprised that she hadn’t been more careful, as he could have put something into her tea to poison her properly. The fact that she had trusted him brought a lump of something foul into the pit of her stomach but she vainly fought it away, “Why do you need to know?” she bit back and he pretended to be subdued. “I don’t know if this is safe for you, to have me here but I can’t thank you enough.”

“I could care less what might happen to me but I’ll die a gentleman at least. Such a strange little thing you are, Greengrass.” Zabini said with a strange look to his face, as if Astoria were some sort of interesting toy, “now eat. You look as if you haven’t fed in days.”

Astoria noticed how he’d phrased the words and she snapped. “I’m not some sort of magical creature!” Zabini looked as if he were logging that away, “what do you think I _am_? I’m as human as you are.”

There was a slight pause.

Zabini looked a bit disappointed. “And here I was thinking that I would have a new pet. Animals often die in my home…the lucky bastards,” he said and Astoria could have hit him but she refrained from doing so, no matter how tempting it would have been to wipe that smirk from his face.

It was oddly addictive and she turned to the food he had uncovered for her and started reaching for bread, ham and cheese. After selecting enough, Astoria ate warily, chewing carefully to make sure that nothing had been put into the crust or meat, “This is good.” She said after a while as she nibbled on a particular slice of cheese for a few minutes longer than necessary.

Zabini had been drinking his tea and had refilled her cup for her twice but he now smiled at her ruefully. “There’s nothing in your food, Greengrass.” Astoria sent him a look, “please stop thinking that I’ll poison you when I’ll most likely molest you in your sleep.”

Astoria knew that he was joking but she had an image of Malfoy in all of his blonde perfection and she inwardly shuddered. “You sound like—”

“Malfoy? My, what a compliment,” Zabini muttered darkly and she had a feeling that bringing up that boy in his home would not be wise. “You wouldn’t be hiding from him, would you?” Astoria didn’t respond but the prat was part of her issue, “I may have you stay with me forever if it would keep him from taking a bite out of you.”

“Why would you do something like that?” Astoria asked suspiciously.

Zabini ignored her and after determining that she was done with her food, he covered up the remainder of the bread, cheese and ham. Deftly, he took their empty teacups to the sink and washed them before placing them back, “There’s a spare room upstairs that you can use.”

Astoria knew that whatever issue he had with Malfoy wouldn’t be resolved overnight and she would much rather keep out of it. Swallowing hard, she slipped off the stool and felt her head spinning a bit as weariness gripped her, “…Thank you.”

“I’ll bring your things up for you.” Zabini said calmly after he’d put the food away and had grabbed her Hogwarts trunk. Slowly, he began to lead her out of the kitchen and she followed him weakly through the foyer and then towards the winding staircase and as they ascended, her eyes flicked over his form.

Zabini was just as tall as Malfoy and Astoria asked while running her eyes uncomfortably down the expanse of his back, “Do you play Quidditch Zabini?”

“I do actually.” Zabini said with a trace of surprise. Astoria continued to stare as they walked; her head swimming and before she could ask him, he said. “I play Keeper. Does anyone in your family play?” he asked.

Astoria was reluctant to divulge much but she nodded a bit and flicked her eyes over his shoulders. They were broad and she wondered how she hadn’t noticed this before and a wild blush stirred over her face, like flower petals, “Scorpious played Seeker and my…father played Beater. Emily and I didn’t get the genes but our mum played reserve Keeper.”

Zabini seemed to find that interesting but he didn’t say anything to that, only hummed in his throat and she swallowed hard. Briefly, her eyes flicked downward and he asked casually, “Looking at my butt, Greengrass?”

Astoria spluttered indignantly even though she had been. “No, I was not!” she snapped. Zabini chuckled and put a little swish in his hips that had her laughing into her hands, “stop that! It’s not right at all!”

Zabini only stopped the strange action as they made it to the top of the stairs. “You know, Greengrass, you should take a bit more humor out of life.” Astoria rolled her eyes, beet red.

“I laugh,” Astoria clipped.

Zabini smirked a bit, obviously knowing what had her so embarrassed before he started leading her down a hallway. There were many rooms here and Astoria heard him explain, “Mother used to host quite a few parties when I was young but stopped after her last husband died.”

Astoria had heard rumors that his mother was a murderess but she didn’t know if they were true and given what her own family did, she hardly cared. There was no way that anyone could choose who they were related to, “She doesn’t host anymore?”

“No. She sleazes to various other parties instead,” Zabini said nastily before stopping at a door that looked as if it hadn’t been opened in a while, “you may want to open the window but it should be comfortable enough.”

Astoria stared at the door and knew that this was the start of her being dependent on her family and dependent on someone else. Someone that she may or may not be able to trust, “What about the house-elves or servants?” she asked now, dread going over her.

Zabini thought about this for a moment or two before he answered with a stiff shrug of his shoulders. “There are none. Our budget doesn’t cover for such extravagances any longer,” Astoria was surprised by this but he didn’t elaborate on anything, “I run the household myself and because my mother is indisposed, it may take most of my time so you may not see me often during the day.”

Astoria was stunned by this and she couldn’t imagine being stuck in this large mansion on her own, taking care of responsibilities that were far too advanced for her. “You must be very stressed,” she said to him. There was a moment where he looked as if he might say something but he said nothing, “I won’t bother you during the day. I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing. You’re my guest and I’ll treat you kindly.” Zabini replied calmly, his dark eyes lost in other, not so pleasant thoughts.

Astoria heard the certainty in his voice and recoiled a bit but he opened the door absently and allowed her to go inside. The room was smaller than the one she’d had at home and there was an aged quality to it but the bed looked comfortable, “You really don’t have to do this.”

Zabini stepped in the doorway and set her trunk down inside and when she turned to look back at him, he stood politely back. “I don’t but I am, Greengrass.” He said firmly and he also advised, “And don’t try to run from me, I find it tiresome to walk around the estate.”

Astoria wondered if he would drag her by her hair but she doubted his, he would find that very rude indeed. She had no intention of leaving though, there was nowhere else for her to go after all and she swallowed nervously, knowing that her heart was hammering, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s very nice to know.” Zabini replied calmly and she quirked her brow at him curiously but said nothing as he explained. “There’s a bathroom in your room and I’ll be making breakfast by eight and dinner is promptly served at six,”

“There’ll be nothing left with the way you eat.” Astoria said dryly and he laughed at this truth before she asked, “do you do all the shopping here?” Zabini nodded. “That has to be a burden on you.”

Zabini looked warily at her, as if sniffing for something more but when he detected nothing else, he nodded in agreement. “Mother is a foolish woman, Greengrass. And she loves to shop far too often but because no one else wants to be bothered with her, it all falls on my shoulders.”

Astoria couldn’t imagine having such a life and she wondered bleakly if her own home life had really been so terrible. Her mother ran the house chores promptly and her father took care of their Galleons and while they weren’t rich and she had no idea what he did with the money they did get from clients…she had never had to really worry for much. “I’ll take some of the burden from you.”

“That’s unnecessary. You’re my guest and that would be asking for far too much.” Zabini said sternly and Astoria felt a bit of irritation, she had to repay him somehow. “Lunch is at noon, Greengrass and I’ll handle all of your laundry. I’m very eager to see what sort of panties you wear.”

Instantly, Astoria wanted to hit him and she cried embarrassingly. “You’re _not_ doing my laundry! And my panties are none of your business!” her cheeks were flaming and he roared with laughter, finding this very amusing. “You’re so annoying!”

Zabini laughed at her for a while longer before conceding to her wishes as he raised his palms to fend her off. “You’re practically foaming at the mouth. Do you want to know what sort of underwear I have on?” Astoria shook her head firmly. “I didn’t think so…” he sighed sadly and her lips almost twitched.

Astoria was silent for a moment and Zabini found nothing odd about staring at her, his eyes flicking over her. She turned redder and redder and his lips twitched and the sight irritated her, she wasn’t sure if he would drive her mad before they went back to Hogwarts, “Why not come inside? You’re irritating me!” she cried, unable to stand it any longer.

Zabini apparently had been waiting for that and he shook his head. “It’s rude to enter a woman’s bedroom at night. Especially when you’re not married.” He explained as she stared at him in confusion, as Scorpious had often just trampled into her bedroom to talk and complain to her, Emily right behind him.

A pang settled into her chest at the thought of them but she shook it away and hoped that they weren’t too worried for her. Scorpious of course would be tearing apart the world at this exact moment but Emily would most likely think that it had been her fault…she was probably crying, “…W-well that makes sense.” She said distractedly to Zabini.

“I really won’t molest you in your sleep, so rest assured.” Zabini said lightly and Astoria sent him a dry stare that had his lips twitching even as she blushed. “Unless…?” he asked in a low purr.

“No,” Astoria snapped firmly and he roared with laughter before bowing his head and making his way back out into the hall. She went after him and said weakly, “goodnight…I suppose.”

Zabini flinched a bit but he turned and made a graceful bow at her that stupidly caused her heart to pound severely. Astoria was more than aware that her cheeks were searing red, “And to you, Ms. Greengrass.” He said in reply before turning and leaving her there, gawping after him.

After she wandered into the room again, her cheeks still hot, Astoria assessed the room and saw that it was very nice despite it being old. The carpet was worn down a bit but the lavender wallpaper and the cream duvet were expensive and so far above her that she almost didn’t dare sit on the bed’s surface but walked over to her Hogwarts trunk.

With a bit of a pang, her hands grappled with it before she unlocked it to check with Aradelle had packed for her and inside she found a small case that held her wand. “Thank you Aradelle.” She said sadly.

Her house-elf would be worried sick for her but Astoria wondered if her family would harm her and knew that Emily and Scorpious wouldn’t allow it. They loved her very much and her mother would be aghast at the discovery of a dead house-elf on the carpet but her father…

Astoria shook that away and the fear that gripped her throat and began to rummage through the trunk. There were clothes, her Muggle novels that she had sworn Aradelle never to speak a word about and some of the family variety. There were quite a few of them neatly stacked underneath her clothes and Astoria picked these up and found her eyes going over books that were outlawed in most of the Wizarding world, “A Guide to Defeating your Enemies” she read brokenly.

These disgusting books were filled with detailed descriptions on the foulest potions, the most evil defensive spells. Scorpious and Emily knew them all and Astoria knew that both of them were very accomplished at the Cruciatus Curse and while she felt ill thinking about it herself, there might come a time when she would have to use it.

There was no telling what her father would do to get her back and Scorpious would start out slowly with Zabini’s body until he was begging to be killed and Astoria felt a wave of terror. He was so kind. Suspicious and odd but very kind because he hadn’t needed to allow her to stay here and Astoria picked out something to sleep in, some toiletries and towels and decided that she would spend the next day making the room more comfortable.

After leaving her wand out and taking out a Muggle novel about having too much pride and too much prejudice, she closed her trunk and managed to drag it across the room and under her bed. Putting the book on the bed, Astoria looked around until she spotted a worn white door that probably led to the bathroom and she walked over and opened it to see nothing but white marble and a deep sunken tub.

It was a very beautiful bathroom but there was an aged quality to it and she worried if it would be bold enough to actually bathe in it. Zabini’s home was so much different from her own and she frowned at the thought of him shouldering so much responsibility on his own while his mother was ill and obviously in need of more help.

Astoria knew more than she would ever know that he hated his mother for whatever reason and that this siblings whom she assumed was a woman had never done much for him either and that angered her. Emily had always been there for her when she’d needed her and while she was a bit flighty and flirtatious, Astoria had always known that she would do whatever she could for her, no matter if it were illegal or not.

Deciding that she would take a risk and clean the tub, Astoria walked over and ran a bit of water inside and used a moldy old wash towel hanging over the rim to scrub away the caked mildew and grime. The Zabini Estate seemed to be failing rather severely and she worked furiously on the tub, thinking about how dangerous this would be and how soon she would be able to get herself together.

She hated the thought of Zabini buying her things…offering her money but there was nowhere else to go and until she could find out something to do that would elevate her position, there was nothing more foolish than leaving. Astoria felt a choking sensation going over her but after she finally cleaned and rinsed out the tub, she was more than relieved to see that it was sparkling, almost brand new and she had to commend herself.

Back at Hogwarts in her personal dorm, she magically cleaned everything herself. But there was something rather nice about scrubbing by hand and even though her fingers ached and her nails were chipped, she could smile. The smile didn’t last but Astoria ran some hot water, grabbed her wash towel and a bottle of soap that had been from Emily the last time that they’d been together for Christmas.

Clients usually came in with various degrees of foulness on the holidays so they rarely saw each other as both of her siblings and father were out on their assignments but that day there had been none. Emily had given her this bottle of soap that was a special mixture that she’d made herself. Astoria loved it as it smelt exactly like her white and red roses that had grown outside in their garden.

A tear threatened to form but after a moment she carefully stripped down and added the liquid soap into the tub. Its color was a pretty pale pink and Astoria sank gratefully into the tub before going underneath the surface and holding her breath for a quick moment before coming back up for air and scrubbing her hair.

The rings that she’d worn to the Malfoy’s party were still on each finger but something in her left them there…even while she’d been so upset, something in her had defied at taking something else from home off. Astoria hated that she missed home after all but spent a long time scrubbing, sitting and lathering herself before rinsing off and stepping out of the tub and letting the water out.

Trying to fight back the annoying wave of homesickness that was threatening to grip her, she dried herself and the wet mass of her hair and dressed hurriedly, desperate for things to fade away for a moment. After gathering her things, Astoria went back into the bedroom and set her dirty clothes on a rickety nightstand and made a mental note to ask Zabini where the laundry room was before he took it upon himself to look at her panties.

For some reason, a smile started to curve into her mouth as she braided her hair back, unaware that her heart was pounding and that her cheeks were very pink while she replayed their odd conversations. When one last memory flickered away, Astoria picked up her book, flipped back the duvet and sheets and climbed into the bed.

Softness beyond anything that was even remotely describable met her body and for a moment she wondered if she were lying in a cloud before shaking that thought away. Everything about this room was expensive…ancient and so beyond her understanding. Wondering what she had gotten herself into and worried for the week to come, Astoria read for a while before setting her book on the windowsill and falling into a troubled, yet oddly comforting sleep.

  
  


 


	8. Blaise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria begins to grow more comfortable at The Zabini Estate but the entire mansion holds more mystery than she ever would have thought. When she finds out more about her strange host, a problem arises and in the end, feelings brim between them that Astoria wants desperately to be rid of.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Chapter 8

Blaise

The Zabini Estate reminded Astoria of a failing museum. But because she had abhorred the idea of being locked up completely in the borrowed, dusty room, even after she had cleaned it from every inch available with her own hands, she explored. It was a rather bold move for her when she knew more than anyone else that she would never belong here. But something compelled her to make further investigations of her host’s home and it was almost an impulsive ache, there was something simply fascinating about Blaise Zabini.

Some part of her wanted to know what it was about him that made her so flustered, so pink in the cheeks when they barely knew one another. Astoria had always imagined that she would find every pureblood repugnant but Zabini was an oddity that she couldn’t quite put her finger on and on more than one occasion over the past four days, she had found herself smiling. Every strange conversation that they had seemed to have replayed itself in her mind before she went to bed, a flush to her cheeks and her heart hammering in a way that made her wonder if she were ill. But it was impossible to ignore that he caused her heart to flutter, that she slept with his handkerchief under her pillow, sometimes pressing it to her nose as she inhaled his scent.

Those actions, coupled with the fact that he treated her politely and nitpicked at her in a brought on nothing but odd conversations, arguments that started from nothing and laughter simply for the sake of laughing. Astoria was confused by it really and she found herself wandering around his mansion, hunting for clues as to why this once beautiful place was falling apart around the edges. She had a feeling that the blame couldn’t be placed solely on Helena Zabini.

Because the potion or whatever Zabini had given her had worn off some time ago, Astoria spent much of the mornings in her room, though it was apparent that the woman could hardly care what her son was up to. She had heard them talking in the hallway once while she’d been reading one of her Muggle novels, “I have a feeling that you’re keeping someone in my house again, Blaise. _Who is it_?”

“That’s none of your damn concern.” Zabini’s voice had been kind, if not scathing and Astoria’s jaw had dropped at his nerve to speak to his own mother like that. “Just keep your nose out of my affairs if you like being able to shop.”

“How dare you speak to me that way? I’m ill, as you _may_ recall!” his mother had snapped and Astoria had winced a little.

Zabini had sighed irritably, the sound making the hairs on the back of her neck rise in fear. “Mother, every time you leave with that wretch you call a daughter, you come back ill. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she were poisoning you again.”

Astoria’s jaw had dropped. Helena Zabini had spluttered, “You know how much she would prefer to be head of the family and because I hate her and she hates me, the next best thing to beating me down is killing you. The last time before this you weren’t able to stop coughing for a month, though sadly, you didn’t die.” Zabini had said to his mother loftily.

There was obviously something rather tainted about the family and Astoria had sat on the bed with her jaw hanging open. It had been obvious from the way Zabini had spoken to the woman that he highly suspected his own sister of poisoning their mother, “You’re just jealous, Blaise. You always have been but I can’t help that Sabina is my favorite. Now, give me a few Galleons so I can go out into Diagon Alley, I must get some new robes.”

Those nasty, self-important words must have hurt Zabini one way or another and Astoria had felt a burst of compassion for him. But his voice had been icy, “I’ll give you a hundred Galleons from my own Gringotts vault and if you spend it all on your ridiculous whims, you’ll only have yourself to blame.” There had been a rustling sound and Astoria had imagined him taking out his Gringottt’s key and handing it over to his overly eager mother, “at the rate you’re going, we’ll be living in a box by the end of the month.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Blaise. You’re much too serious and if you are keeping another of your girlfriends here, she had better be a pureblood or I’ll be sending an immediate owl to her parents to collect her—and I would much rather not meet her. Your taste in women is deplorable.” Mrs. Zabini had insulted prettily before her footsteps had faded away.

Astoria had felt a tingle of dislike for the woman at her assumption that she wasn’t good enough for her son and then had paused. What did she care? It wasn’t as if Zabini were courting her…but she had been rather unnerved to find out that she hadn’t been the only girl that he had had staying with him. But she had willed herself not to think about it or the fact that he had mentioned that he and Malfoy had entertained themselves with varying girls for a very long time.

She couldn’t quite understand what had made him change exactly but he had to be different now because he had never looked at her inappropriately. But then a nasty thought had invaded her mind. Of course he wouldn’t when she was just a poor little half-blood running away from her murderous family.

There was nothing at all desirable about her. And that thought had spurred her to keep her distance and cease her heart’s foolish fluttering whenever he was near, though it almost hurt to do so. If Zabini assumed that she had heard the conversation, as they’d been rather close to her guest room, he had given her no indication that he cared or would explain.

And Astoria hadn’t spoken much during dinner that night.

Their conversation had lost its zest and teasing and they’d uncomfortably looked away from one another but the next day, he pretended that all was well and was back to his unusual self. Because he handled the accounts and his mother, which took up so much of his time, Astoria really didn’t see much of him in the day, though they had breakfast, lunch and dinner together alone.

Helena Zabini stayed out rather often and Zabini had nastily mentioned that she had many men to entertain herself with until she brought them home…seduced them and had them marry her. They needed the money and while they were, in Astoria’s opinion wealthier than she would ever be, their home was nowhere near its original state and she swallowed hard now as she made her way downstairs, Zabini having decided to loiter somewhere else.

She wasn’t sure what he did after he finished his accounts and handled the groceries (He went into Diagon Alley through the Floo to take care of this pesky problem) but she had grown rather restless. Exploring the Estate was an entertaining and mysterious game to her and she found many empty rooms, once glorious but faded with time, old children’s books that she brought back to her room.

But because Astoria liked to read quite often and had depleted her selection of Muggle novels and the banned ones her family had had (That Aradelle had packed for her, as was custom when she went back to school), she had nothing new to read. So today she found herself wandering around on the west side of the mansion, peeking through every available room for a library or office, because by now any book would do.

It took her a long time but Astoria eventually stumbled into an old library at the end of a crumbling hallway and eagerly stepped inside and saw nothing but bookshelves loaded with tomes, novels and anything else that her heart could imagine. Nothing but joy persisted and Astoria launched herself into the room, taking note of the ancient stone fireplace, the old leather armchairs and the massive desk that must have belonged to someone.

Curious and feeling as if she would burst with relief, she idly wandered over to it, picking up some photos on the surface. She found herself staring at a handsome black man and his young son, who could be no one else but Zabini. He was perhaps four or five and even then very cute as he gazed up at his father, who was waving at whoever was taking the picture. Astoria had her doubts that it had been his wife and she set it down.

Something tingled down her spine at the knowledge that she may find out more about Zabini and she picked up various photos, each of the same man and Zabini in later stages. But the photos stopped once he turned ten or eleven and Astoria was a bit dismayed to understand that he had perhaps died or left his wife by this point, leaving him alone.

Her heart felt crushed for him and she thought of how there weren’t any pictures of herself from birth to now…though she would refuse to think about that, her family really was despicable. Placing the last picture down, Astoria wandered over to the bookshelves and though she didn’t bother reading the names, she eagerly picked out anything and everything until she had a stack in her arms.

How she made it to the armchair was perhaps a miracle. But she eventually placed the stack neatly on the floor and lost herself to book after book, her mind whirring as she read about Wizarding fairy tales that were very different from Muggle ones. They were darker and some of them had the most disgusting pureblood leanings but Astoria read them all.

By the time the afternoon had worn on, she had completely forgotten about anything else that had been bothering her. She was just turning the page in a book that was more erotic than she would have liked when she heard a pant. “ _There_ you are. Merlin, you scared me half to death.” It was Zabini’s voice and she looked up in surprise to see him resting his head on the doorway, “I’ve been all around the estate looking for you, I thought you’d run off.”

Astoria stared at him and the photos of himself and his father seemed to make a guilty flush spread into her cheeks. “Sorry, I wanted something new to read.”

“You could have asked me, I would have just gotten you something.” Zabini said curtly and Astoria was surprised to hear the bit of anger in his tone. She stared at him warily, her eyes narrowing as he strode into the room, taking everything in with a disapproving frown, “I would rather you not be here in my father’s office.”

That sounded as if he were expecting to make her sulk like a little child and Astoria’s back stiffened defensively as she lowered the book onto her lap. The folds of her dress flared over the edge and his eyes flicked over the books on the floor and he seemed quite furious, she had never seen him angry before and she said, “I didn’t know that this was your father’s study. I wouldn’t have come in if I had known that it wasn’t _allowed_.”

Perhaps her tone had been a bit more sarcastic than she had intended because his eyes narrowed with annoyance. “Put the books back.” He commanded and when Astoria merely raised her brows at his nerve to give her an order, he snapped, “now, Greengrass. I should have locked this room, I never allow anyone to come in here!”

“Why?” Astoria asked calmly even as she stayed right where she was, her brow crinkled in confusion by his anger. And then she understood slowly that he had loved his father very much and that she had tainted his memory somehow by being here, without his permission, “I’ll put the books back.”

Zabini eyed her distrustfully, as if she might damage them but Astoria calmly stacked the books, heaved them into her arms and slid off the armchair. He saw her struggling but he seemed too angry to give his assistance, “In exactly the same order that you got them, Greengrass.”

Astoria shot him a withering look. “Zabini, if you command me to do one more thing, I’ll gut you like a fish.” She hissed and because he saw the expression on her face and the promising glint in her eyes, he said nothing more, though he sneered. “I didn’t know that this was a special place for you. If I had known, I wouldn’t have come inside.”

That didn’t seem to make him feel any better and she spent a long few minutes arranging the books back in the order that she had gotten them. She smoothed out the bindings and made certain that they were pristine before Zabini crossed by her to his father’s desk and took one of the photos, somehow knowing that her filthy fingers had been on them, “…You touched his photos.”

If there had been a time when she had though the Devil had a voice, he would probably sound exactly like Zabini just then. Astoria turned slowly from the bookshelf to see him glaring at her hatefully and she squared her shoulders, not even bothering to deny it, “I just wanted to know you.”

“You don’t need to know me, Greengrass. Trust works both ways and I don’t know a damn thing about you but I don’t sneak into your room looking at your personal things,” Zabini hissed menacingly and Astoria felt something like shame slime down her spine, “this is a forbidden area of the house, Greengrass, remember that you’re not allowed to come into this room again.”

Astoria wanted to say something quite foul to him but she couldn’t get her mouth to work, something was breaking in her chest. “I’ll remember, Zabini. Don’t worry that I’ll disturb anything again but I would like something more to read.”

Zabini’s nostrils flared a bit with an oncoming rage that she had never expected out of him and he spat nastily. “You sure do have a lot of damn nerve. Rather spoiled, aren’t you?” Astoria glared at him because this was farthest from the truth, her parents provided, they rarely ever indulged, “I’ve done more than enough for you.”

Astoria felt as if he had slapped her across the face and she said angrily. “No one is forcing you to keep me here and if I’m such a damn burden to you, I’ll leave.” It wasn’t a threat by any means but Zabini’s eyes widened, “I said that I was sorry but if you’re going to insult me even after I apologized then you can kiss my ass—you may want to wait though, I’ll be a bit busy packing my things.” She said coldly and before he could say a thing, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

For some reason as she winded and curved around the mansion to get back to the front and towards the winding staircase, she felt like crying. It was an unwanted thing but she felt her eyes prickling regardless of her anger but she forced it back and decided that she would take the Floo and go to the Leaky Cauldron after all and somehow, she would find a room.

If she were lucky, they would need a bit of extra help around the place and she could acquire a job but her experience was minimal and pathetic at best and she ignored it. There could be something useful for her and a nasty image of herself living on the streets as some sort of beggar came into her mind but another part of her thought of going to Knockturn Alley, after all the things that her family did for wastrels there, they owed her.

The Greengrass name was something to be feared and recoiled from in the bowels of the underworld and Astoria would have to call upon every foul thing to get her through. She didn’t have Scorpious’s threatening nature or Emily’s charm…she was mean, that was true but that could only get her so far and Astoria glowered angrily before making it onto the landing and towards her borrowed room.

A tear slid down her cheek and she damned herself before opening the door and going inside to gather her things, the strange feelings bouncing around in her chest until she thought she really would burst into tears. Of course it had been too good to be true, and this was why you should never trust purebloods, no matter how kind they appeared.

They always bite. Astoria hated that the teachings of her life had been proven correct and it took her a very long time to shove her things into her trunk and by the time she’d thrown on a traveling cloak and buttoned it, she was feeling as if her body were crumbling.

Just like this place. Astoria hated that she had enjoyed herself here and shook it off and was walking towards the door when Zabini appeared. A scream flew from her mouth before she cried, “You bloody jackass, get the hell out of my way!”

“Make me.” Zabini replied calmly and he looked as if he had run towards her again, his eyes were darker than normal and there was a stubborn set to his jaw. Astoria should have figured from the way he spoke to his mother that he was rather persistent on what he wanted and what he wanted done, “you’re not going anywhere. Where do you think that you can go with no money?”

“I’ve got a place in mind. And if _you_ don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you get out of my way,” Astoria said sharply, threateningly. Zabini merely raised his brows at the words, as if finding her highly amusing, “I said that I would leave and I’ll keep my word.”

There was a thick silence at those words and it was only broken up by Zabini as he shifted his weight and cursed foully under his breath. Apparently being a gentleman was forgotten when he was upset and Astoria narrowed her eyes on him before striding up and shoving at his chest and although it made her feel ill to touch a pureblood, she did it again. “You’re about as strong as a kitten, Greengrass.”

“Get _out_ of my way!” Astoria practically screamed, looking up at him. It was a mistake because his eyes sought hers, daring her to try him but whatever he had been about to say was lost as one obnoxious tear rolled down her cheek and because the absurdity of it was almost too much to bear, she couldn’t hold the rest in. “Get out of my way, Blaise!” she commanded.

For a moment Zabini merely stared down at her, apparently so fascinated by her that he failed to move out of the way in time. Astoria punched him before she could stop herself, directly in the stomach where Emily had taught her so long ago and he grunted in surprise before moving aside and she shoved by him, shaking out her hair as she did so, “That hurt!” he accused in a wheeze.

Astoria laughed coldly. “I’m glad that it did!” she snapped over her shoulder and for a moment he just stared…and stared…before darting straight for her. A shriek leapt out of her throat and forgetting about her trunk, she bolted as fast she could down the hallway, her shoes slipping in her haste to get away from him, this being completely out of character.

Zabini was much taller and bigger than she was and Astoria barely got around a corner before he snaked an arm around her waist, “Wait a minute!” he snapped furiously.

“Get your stinking hands off of me!” Astoria commanded, struggling.

Zabini cursed nastily under his breath. “Going to call me a filthy pureblood, Greengrass? You can do a bit better than that with the mouth you’ve got.”

Astoria struggled to move forward, “You don’t need to know half the things I’m calling you right now!” she screamed. Her foot seemed to catch on the folds of her dress and she stumbled, which caused him to fall and they both collided heavily on the floor, cursing and gasping for breath even though he'd rolled onto his side so she wouldn’t take much of the pain.

Astoria blinked the sting of pain and more tears out of her eyes and wiped at them, dust rising from the ancient carpet and clogging her throat. Coughing and gagging, she was only blearily aware of Zabini doing the same, his arm still around her waist and before she could sit up, he rolled her underneath him and pinned her arms above her head, “Get off!” she screamed.

“That _really_ hurt,” Zabini said down to her angrily and for a moment Astoria became all too aware of her predicament. They seemed to be tangled in the most embarrassing position and her back was starting to hurt, “What the hell _are_ you? You’re the most vicious cactus I’ve ever met.”

“Get off of me!” Astoria commanded furiously, panic seeping in. Upon noticing that he was frightening her, Zabini released her immediately and she made a great show of pushing his chin away from her in her haste to get away. Malfoy would have taken complete advantage of her by this point and that fear and the fact that she was so humiliated brought on more fear than she would have liked, “get off, please!”

Zabini had been trying to free her hand from his face and he gasped a bit as she rammed her knee upward, probably grazing a sensitive area. “Dammit, Greengrass I won’t be able to have children at the rate you’re going!” he snapped. “Calm down and let me get off of you. My apologies but I take offense when a hellcat decides to punch me and even make fun of me for allowing it to happen,” he snarled angrily, sitting up.

Astoria managed to crawl backwards and away from him, her heart hammering and her body burning with embarrassment and fear. She ignored him as he made himself comfortable on the floor, not even bothering to straighten out his robes as he stared at her, his face alive with curiosity…laughter, “I hate you.” She hissed meanly.

“Oh, don’t I know it?” Zabini asked as he rubbed painfully on his lower abdomen, looking as if he were very pained. When Astoria sniffled a bit, his dark eyes actually softened, “I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m sorry. And I never would have wanted to make you cry—I wasn’t aware that a cactus could.”

There was a very curious tone to his voice, as if he held Astoria in a higher regard that might have put her in an inhuman light. As if she weren’t really human at all, “I do have feelings you know. If that room was so special to you, I wouldn’t have gone inside,”

Zabini’s lips thinned a little but he seemed unable to stay mad at her as he glanced over her rumpled frame. His eyes lingered over the tangle of her brown hair, which was probably covered in nothing but dust and lint, “…My father lived in that room and it was the only place in this whole house that I felt comfortable. And after he left, I never wanted anyone or even myself to go back inside it.”

Astoria spent a moment or two freeing her hair of the clumps of lint in her hair and ran her fingers through the locks to distract herself. Zabini seemed to find it highly annoying that she was distracting him as well, though she couldn’t understand why his fists clenched, “Your father died?” she asked gently.

“No, he left my mother for another woman. I don’t know where he is, he never tried to contact me again so I assume sometimes that he may be dead, though I do apologize for my rather cryptic remark the first night you came here, I was being especially bitter that night.” Zabini said sincerely and Astoria stared at him thoughtfully, her anger diminishing rapidly. “Mother often likes to say that I was the reason that he left, she’s never cared about me.”

Astoria couldn’t imagine having that knowledge but even as she formed the words, she could understand how he felt. “I’m sorry but it wasn’t your fault. I don’t know what was on his mind but he probably thought that you might have been better here, with your mother.” Zabini sneered and she knew without asking in more detail that his father had made a terrible mistake in that assumption, “…the other day I heard the way your mother talked to you, I actually heard far too much,”

Zabini’s head jerked a bit and he looked briefly ashamed of what she had heard and she didn’t have to guess as to his sour mood now. Anyone who had so much pressure on their shoulders would have to snap eventually and she felt guilty about being a burden for him, offering him nothing but distrust and revulsion if he dared to touch her, “I didn’t mean for you to hear any of that.”

“It’s okay.” Astoria said hastily. That caused his lips to turn downward in a frown that possessed more shame and anger then she had ever seen before, “I shouldn’t have really listened but I’m so used to people keeping secrets at my own house that it made me far too curious. I just wanted to know more…but is it true that your sister has tried to kill your mother?”

The only sounds seemed to be their breathing for a long time but eventually Zabini grunted a bit under his breath and Astoria felt terror building up. “It’s true. She’s a selfish bitch, if you’ll pardon my language,” Astoria jerked her head, “she just likes to hurt me out of spite. The fact that I control so much of the estate and have to in the state our budget is in has never sat well with her, she believes that it’s her birthright but because I’m the only living male in the house, it falls onto me. Our mother can barely add and subtract without rupturing her brain.”

Astoria couldn’t imagine having a sister that hated her, Emily had always been like the mother that she had wished theirs would be. They were so close but the last time that she had seen her sister; she had hurt her by her words, saying that she never wanted to be like her when none of them had had a choice on whether they lived by the Greengrass code.

Never trust a pureblood and do as your father tells you, no matter if killing a person for money makes you ill. Do not go against the business. Question nothing. Do everything. “This has to be too much of a burden on you. And I know that I’m not helping by staying here and I don’t want to trouble you.”

“You’re not troubling me.” Zabini interrupted firmly and Astoria stared at him in bewilderment because he expected her to laze around and do nothing while he worked. The only thing she had personally done on her own was her laundry, though he had laughed at the sight of her soaking wet and spitting from the effort, “not at all. I asked you to stay here because I would rather not have you out in the street, you’re under my protection and it gets so damn lonely here.”

Those last few words must not have been what he had wanted to say but Astoria saw the truth in his dusty, dark face regardless. He held her stare though, daring her to say something scathing but she nodded in acceptance, accepting what he had told her and whatever else he would come to say, “I haven’t been fair to you at all.”

“I’m not demanding that you tell me anything but I would want you to trust me. I’ve given you no reason to think that you can’t,” Zabini said sternly but Astoria still had a feeling that he was hiding something from her. He wouldn’t reveal everything, not now and probably not ever, “you’re expecting me to hurt you when I’ve told you a million times that I have no intention of it.”

Astoria recalled that she had still been picking through her food to make sure that he hadn’t poisoned or done something to it. While it may have hurt his pride, she felt an inkling of irritation with herself, hating that her old habits still dominated what she did now, “You’re up to something. I just know you are. Though I don’t think you’re intending on killing me.”

Zabini’s eyes narrowed at the words but he didn’t even bother trying to deny it, though he did admit with a thin smirk. “I won’t hurt you. Of that you can rest easy,” he murmured and his tone was darker than sin…filled with malicious intent for someone else entirely. Astoria had a feeling that it was Malfoy but she hardly cared what he did to him, so long as she wasn’t involved, “and I’m not all too certain of seducing you either. My mother probably assumes that you’re a girlfriend.”

Astoria’s cheeks flamed but she wasn’t sure if he had been joking or not by the way his eyes had run over her. “You’ve done things like that in the past?” he nodded curtly. “I’m not going to ask more about it, I don’t need to know.”

“You can if you’d like. I’ve grown out of the habit of doing things like that, a girlfriend will do that to you and though I don’t have one anymore, the thought makes me wretch,” Zabini said and the mention of this mysterious girl that he had dated made Astoria curious.

Jealous. Astoria didn’t like the feeling and mumbled awkwardly, to make peace. “Ask me something…and I’ll try to answer, though I would rather keep us both alive.” If it were known that she revealed too much, if her family ever caught her, then she would put him and his mother in danger.

Zabini appeared surprised by this but he stared at her intently, his brows creasing together as he weighed his options. There were, perhaps, millions of things that he could have asked but he settled for questioning, “Are you happy here with me?”

Astoria felt her cheeks heating and embarrassment flooded her entirely and he watched her intently, his eyes raking her. The action was strange from him, as he would have never done something so bold but her heart started to hammer, her lungs felt constricted, “Yes. I don’t want to leave.”

 _You._ That was the one word that she withheld and though she didn’t say anything, Zabini seemed to sense it anyway. And his cheeks seemed to color a little with his own thoughts, “Then stay with me for a while, until Hogwarts. I don’t want you to leave.” The admission made both of them uncomfortable and they spent a few minutes looking away from one another.

A thick silence fell after the words before she struggled to rise to her feet and Zabini followed suit and she was offered his hand. Revulsion and warring emotions dared her to take it, deny it but Astoria took his hand with her own and was lifted up from the floor, “Thank you, Zabini.”

“Astoria, call me Blaise. Punching me has given you the right after all.” Zabini said with a friendly smile. When she met his eyes, she was aware of sinking, falling, tumbling and she hated that he could bring out these feelings when she least needed them.

Humiliated and confused, Astoria said nothing but gently squeezed his fingers, returning the pressure he offered.

 


	9. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria is still conflicted with warring emotions on her growing interest in her host and the pair of them risk it all and reveal a bit more about one another. Despite the joy it brings, revealing some of the darker nature of her own life causes her to realize that she has given Blaise the sort of power that is both a blessing and a curse of the worst kind.

Astoria felt the heavy press of his eyes on the smooth curve of her throat, settling gently there before raising them to ponder the sight of her brown hair. The pressure of it made her skin break out in a cold sweat as she tended to the locks, feeling his eyes resting there strongly as she worked through the tangles with a thin comb, his stare taking in every long, slow stroke.

But when she chanced a glance over her shoulder, she saw that her strange host wasn’t regarding her at all but was merely considering his hands. He sat in the couch across from her quietly and for a moment she wondered if she had imagined the feel of his gaze on her. The two of them were rather quiet, the next day being her final moments at the Estate before they were at Hogwarts. And the thought of parting weighed heavily on them, like an overly warm blanket.

Though she had been here for nearly a week, it felt as if it had been for far longer, the Estate having become familiar in its own way. Astoria ran the comb through her hair again, thinking and worrying what her family was doing in their search for her. There were many people in Knockturn Alley that owed her father information and they would be all too pleased to give her up if they caught some sign or hint of her, which was why going into Diagon Alley, would be impossible.

How she would be able to get her school things was beyond her and she wouldn’t be seventeen for another two months so she wouldn’t be able to Transfigure her face into anything that might lure away curious bystanders. Anxiously, she lowered the comb from her hair and stared into the fireplace in front of her, wondering what her father would do to her if he finally had her in his grasp again.

Astoria had never disobeyed her family before and the punishment for it might just have her being locked into her room for the remainder of the year or worse and she didn’t want to think about that just now, even though her heart iced over. The longer she stayed, the more they would worry about what she had revealed about the family to strangers…if their secrets were suddenly out in the open and if they would be thrown into Azkaban.

There were many people that her family had hurt and they needed the purebloods and the people that wanted revenge on them to stay in business. Astoria didn’t think that her father would be able to survive without it. It had been in the family for so long that settling into the sort of respectability that made people _normal_ was impossible for all of them.

Her great-grandfather had started it and Astoria’s father was keeping it alive, eager to replenish their wealth but also to crush every pureblood and gain a bit of sick satisfaction in the progress. “Tell me what you’re thinking, your face is frightening.” She heard Blaise say and Astoria jumped and found herself meeting his curious and rather rude stare.

“Charming, aren’t you?” Astoria snapped dryly and he laughed, as if she had said something highly amusing. She fingered the comb in her hands, “I was thinking about school and my family.” That caused his smile to fade and he became contemplative and silent, perhaps wondering what he could ask her and what he wouldn’t dare to. “Earlier, I told you to ask me something but you didn’t ask what I thought you would.”

This had confused her greatly after they had cleaned themselves up from the dusty hallway floor and politely parted ways for a while, though he had gripped her hand for far longer before Astoria had reluctantly pulled away. With all that she hadn’t told him, she had expected some sort of question about her life, her family but he had asked her nothing at all except for if she were happy here in this house with him.

Astoria had been embarrassed by the force of her response, hating the thought of leaving…though not ready to verbally admit that she was afraid of leaving _him_. Her heart decided to flutter painfully and she pressed her hand over her chest to stop it, still just as confused and humiliated as she had been earlier.

“What sort of question did you think I would ask you, Astoria?” Blaise asked calmly and she felt her cheeks turning very warm at the sound of her name coming from his lips. They hadn’t spoken much during dinner and this was the first time that he had said it since their fight earlier and for some strange reason, she was incredibly embarrassed. “Such a flattering shade of pink.” He teased.

Astoria felt a chill gripping her and she recalled something that she would have rather forgot and looked away from him as words bounced in her skull. _“You can try and pretend that you hate me but I’m no fool, I can offer you much more than anyone else can, be aware of that the next time you turn so red…”_ Malfoy’s voice was eerily soothing as she felt her lips stinging from one of his kisses that night. Even while here at the Estate and far away from him, he still managed to sicken her. But what she had done that night made a pang settle into her stomach because she could only imagine what he was doing to her family, what sort of lies he was spreading about her.

Because of him, she was quite sure that many pureblood families assumed the worst about her from an experience in a pantry with Blaise that had never and would never happen. Hogwarts would be more than torturous but she felt a slight, guilty wave of relief for knowing that she would never be in the Slytherin common room and never having to endure the sneers and comments from the wretches like Parkinson and Travers.

Blaise’s voice cut through her thoughts and he sounded a little concerned at the faraway look in her eyes and asked. “Are you all right?” Astoria jumped and gave him a wan smile that did nothing but have him frowning sternly, “you’re not eager to be returning to school, I see. That is actually a question that I wanted to ask, concerning where you go while we’re there,”

Astoria felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up in defiance but she then stared into his eyes and saw nothing but worry. It was so stunning that it almost frightened her but she knew that the small bridge of truth between them wouldn’t be built without her cooperation and she no longer felt as if hiding everything were fair. He had done too much for her, “You want to know where I go? I thought that…Malfoy was the only one who noticed but you mentioned something about it before, I think,” she trailed off, vaguely recalling Blaise questioning this in the pantry that had doomed their reputations.

“There are quite a few things that I would like to know about you. I don’t even know what your favorite color is or what sort of panties you wear,” Blaise said earnestly and Astoria found herself laughing even as the words annoyed her, which had been the point. A smile started to curve his mouth and the sight made her oddly breathless, “but where _do_ you go, if you can answer me that?”

Astoria knew that telling him would be very dangerous when she was supposed to be hidden and kept a secret. There were a lot of people that would want her father dead after all and using one of his children to get to him would be far too easy if they caught them off guard, though Emily had been kidnapped so often in the past that the thrill had gone for her. That had her frowning, “I go to my own dorm in the school. It’s in the east wing.”

Blaise took these words in with the sort of dignity that was beyond Astoria’s understanding and she nervously watched him. Suddenly, revealing anything about her family caused her to feel nothing but shame and she wanted to run as far as she could away from him, “And why would you need to have one?”

Astoria felt her lips pressing stubbornly together, her cheeks turning red with shame and embarrassment. The intense way that he was regarding her didn’t help, “My dad runs a very… accomplished business. People would want to hurt me to find out his secrets,” she found herself fumbling, her eyes darting over his frame, so elegantly placed across from her own.

There was a bit of a silence after that, that was only broken up by the spitting of the fire and Astoria winced from the sound of it. Just now, she was glad that Helena Zabini was out with her friends for the night and unable to pay witness to the most humiliating moment of her life, “I was under the impression that your family was rather…” Blaise started.

“We’re not rich. You don’t have to be _polite_ ,” Astoria said dryly.

Blaise took in her face apologetically but he looked around at all the faded, simple grandeur of the room with a slight smirk. It was unkind, “I don’t have a right to be such a snob in my current predicament.” But Astoria knew that there was still pureblood pride swimming in his blood somewhere no matter if he had made himself out to be a traitor.

While she didn’t say anything for a moment, Astoria found herself staring at him in a way that made her both embarrassed and confused. Suddenly, the room felt too small and she wanted him to be a bit closer to her, “My parents want all of us to marry purebloods to give the family name a bit of status and fortune. Back in the day, we were like the Blacks and Malfoy’s before some family members got greedy,” she said in a hurried rush.

Blaise came out of his musings slowly and turned away from the wall that he had been staring at to meet her eyes. Astoria glanced away, her heart pounding too heavily, “I’ve heard many purebloods complaining about the same thing. Only relenting in the fact that they could choose whom they married, so long as they were pure and had a good vault of Galleons.”

“I’m not a pureblood.” Astoria said and the thought of being one was revolting and her old habits nearly rose to the surface. It made her feel like the lowliest scum but she shook it off and eyed him coolly, “don’t you remember your former friends calling me Half and Half?”

Blaise’s lips thinned and he shot her a warning look that caused her to stiffen daringly, as if they would go into another heated argument. Instead, his lips turned up in a smile, “I remember Malfoy calling you that for spitting in his face back in first year.” That had her laughing, “And then, I believe you smacked him in the face with a Transfiguration textbook.”

Astoria recalled that night with a wave of distaste, though Malfoy had deserved it for sneaking up on her in the dark, wanting her to come back to the Slytherin common room with him. He reminded her of a monster that she couldn’t quite be rid of, “That was during OWL year. Did he complain about it?”

“Immensely— I didn’t hear the end of it for days but I must ask. What did he try to do to _you_ in return?” Blaise asked with dark, chilling amusement. His loathing for Malfoy was very obvious and it made Astoria wonder what he planned on doing to him and what the creature had done to cause so much hate.

But she found herself shrugging and answering. “He never got the chance to do anything to me because we had OWL week and those Weasley twins caused all that commotion.” She said and Blaise looked severely disappointed.

“I’m sure you would have reduced him to nothing with the way your temper gets, Astoria,” Blaise said with a grin and she blushed at the prideful tone in his voice. After a minute or two, he asked carefully, studying her face, “so tell me, where is your dorm?”

Astoria was very wary and disappointed that the mood had shifted once again and she thought of her lonely dorm with true loathing. She absently trailed her fingers in her hair and watched Blaise’s eyes flicking to the strands for a short second before he looked away, “The directions change each time just in case anyone is following me so they wouldn’t be able to use the same route. I always get them in my mail, along with my Hogwarts letter so I don’t know the way this time.”

“So your father arranged this with Dumbledore before he died?” Blaise asked, hesitating on the last word a little. Though Astoria didn’t know the whole story, she knew that Malfoy had somehow been involved in the Headmaster’s demise on the Astronomy Tower, though Snape had been the one to land the final blow.

Hogwarts would be a very different place when they returned. “No, it was some of the teachers. Quite a few people owe my father for what he’s done.” Astoria hadn’t been told what his father had done for those people since she wasn’t involved in the family business but she had never wanted to know. She didn’t want to think that she had someone’s evil deeds on her fingers, “I’ve never met them but they always follow through with directions every year.”

There was a mall distraction in the form of the fire popping and Astoria glanced at it, wondering if it were displeased with all that she’d told so far. “Your father sounds like an interesting man, and I don’t mean that as a compliment.” Blaise eventually said, his brow furrowing with heavy dislike and bringing her out of her thoughts.

“You wouldn’t be insulting me. I know what sort of person my dad is,” Astoria replied in a surprisingly steady voice. Some part of her loved him of course but the other part knew that she was nothing more than what he wanted her to be, “he can be the nicest person in the world one minute and then the meanest in the next.”

Blaise’s eyes seemed to flicker with a painful empathy and she wondered if his mother had ever in her life been kinder to him. “You’re running from him now so I’ll believe that.” He said with a heavy inhale but he didn’t ask her why she was running. “I’m guessing that he was angry with what you did at Malfoy Manor and wanted you to make peace with him? His family _is_ highly respected,” he sneered nastily and Astoria felt a prickle of unease.

There was a lot of hatred brewing within him for Malfoy and she was very curious but hoped that she had nothing at all to do with it. After living with a family like her own, she had learned not to get herself involved in someone else’s revenge when she’d seen how it had beaten both her siblings down over the years, “He _was_ upset with me but I’ll never be a friend to Draco Malfoy.” Astoria replied after a tense beat.

That seemed to please Blaise and she wondered if he thought that she would fall into his arms someday and she snorted at the ridiculously vile image. Malfoy had gotten far too many kisses from her to last a lifetime and even after all this time she felt bile rising, “I think I’ve learned enough about your father for a while,” he said with a disapproving frown before changing the subject, “tell me more about your siblings. I’ve never talked about my sister before today,” the words sounded a bit forced but he managed them.

Astoria found herself wetting her lips and felt a bolt of sensation go through her at the way his eyes watched the movement before he glanced away with a frown. It took a moment for her heart to slow down, “…That’s a lot to tell. I don’t even know where to _start_ talking about my siblings.” She found herself saying after a deep, anxious inhale. “It could take days.”

Blaise appeared very surprised by this and his eyes widened a little until she thought that they might fall out of his skull. But after a second, he relaxed and remarked, “That brother could put the fear into a troll with the way he glares at everything,” though he tried to smile.

Astoria laughed because it was very true but her brother had to be tough with the work that he was ordered to do, with the terrible people he had dealt with. No amount of Galleons would be able to make him forget all that he’d seen and done. “Scorpious is just very overprotective. I’m the youngest and our parents are really strict on us so we don’t get much time to have fun.” She said with a dark frown.

Blaise stiffened with obvious displeasure at the mention of her father again but she hadn’t been able to stop the words from flying out. “I could tell that your brother was very overprotective of you, the way your family acts is very peculiar. So many secrets,” he murmured and she felt oddly exposed and annoyed that he was so observant, “though I _do_ understand overbearing parents.”

“You do?” Astoria asked in surprise. Helena Zabini had no real love for her son so she found this very surprising and Blaise curled his upper lip in a sneer that was worthy of a haughty king, “I didn’t mean to—!”

Blaise laughed at her and she thought the sound of it was more mocking than humorous and she narrowed her eyes on him sharply. “You’re so fun to tease.” He said and for just one moment, Astoria saw his gaze lower to her mouth before he informed. “Mother wants me to marry and settle down with a rich pureblood girl but I have no intention of _ever_ marrying.”

Astoria had no issues whatsoever about marriage. She just didn’t enjoy the thought of being shackled to someone she didn’t love and the thought was made worse when she imagined everything she possessed being owned by some cruel pureblood like Malfoy or Nott, “…That’s the only reason why we go to pureblood parties. Our parents want all of us to settle down but I’d rather pitch myself from the nearest window—”

“I was able to gather as much. But how do your siblings feel about it?” Blaise asked curiously and Astoria thought of Emily and Scorpious with a pang. She missed them terribly, “your sister seemed to fit right into the pureblood crowd but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you being so enthusiastic, not that I could blame you.”

Astoria had never spoken to him before the other night at the Malfoy Manor but she laughed a little. If only she had, then maybe she would have enjoyed her times at those parties but something in her told her that Blaise might have been a different person then, someone she might not have needed to know at all, “Emily loves it, she _wants_ to get married but Scorpious and I don’t want to settle for a pureblood just because of our family.”

“And I’m assuming that having someone like Malfoy is out of the question?” Blaise asked teasingly and she made a face of utter disgust that had him laughing. “If he’s not careful, your brother might have him taken care of,” there was a tone to his voice, as if he wouldn’t mind that at all.

There was something about his words though, that made her shudder. “We can’t go around doing that sort of thing. It’s why there are only three of us now,” Astoria said unthinkingly and she clapped a hand to her mouth, feeling foolish for letting that slip.

Blaise of course, heard the words and was now taking in her expression and she wondered if she appeared like some quivering bird. “And what did you mean by that?” he asked carefully.

Astoria lowered her hand from her mouth and stared at him levelly, seeing that she had startled him and unsettled him. She didn’t know why she said it, but she did, “I had another brother that died, something about what you said reminded me of what Scorpious talked about at Malfoy’s party,” she said firmly.

Blaise took in her expression carefully, perhaps sensing something that might have been too disturbing or dark to comprehend. Astoria felt as if the carpet beneath her feet was crumbling and she swallowed hard, hating the look on his face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. How long ago was this?” he asked, the clear bemusement almost haunting.

“Before I came around. Leo, that was his name, he had already been dead for a while, I never even knew him but I’ve been told about him from Emily and Scorpious.” Astoria replied and she was surprised that her voice was so steady. She had been told how he had died of course but it made her want to run screaming from the room and so she gave him no details, “but they never mention him very often.”

Blaise was silent for a long time and she wanted to know what he was thinking but that was impossible. She could never truly follow his train of thoughts and for a second she hated what he might have been thinking about her and the family that she had run away from. “Why do you say before you came around? Were you born in the normal way or are you trying to tell me you were hatched?”

Astoria stared at him in disbelief, her jaw dropping. “Is that all you were thinking?” she demanded and Blaise just stared…and stared until she wanted to punch him as hard as she could. “I’m human! I wasn’t _hatched_ , you git!”

“You’re the one who worded it strangely. What was I supposed to think?” Blaise asked, as if the question had been entirely normal and Astoria’s face flushed in aggravation before he sobered, his shoulders relaxing a little. “I am sorry to hear about your brother, that was what I was thinking but there’s so much more that you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

Astoria found herself looking away from him and staring into the fireplace, trying to calm her nerves and her temper. She had never spoken about Leo to anyone before and he wasn’t mentioned at home either, as if he had never existed at all and she didn’t even know what he looked like, “There are a lot of things that I can’t tell you. But I’m trying to get there,” she found herself saying truthfully.

Blaise seemed to weigh in on her words as if they had true worth and it made her chest feel oddly warmed and heavy. “All right then, I can settle for that. Your family won’t need to know what you’ve told me, I’m a very good liar,” he said with apparent pride.

There was something about his words that gave Astoria’s heart pause and she found her eyes narrowing on him suspiciously. “I’m sure you are,” she said softly and he merely raised his brows at that, not finding it at all odd. Whoever he was trying to hurt would hurt in a very painful way. “My dad says that all of his children have to be good liars if we’re going to deal with purebloods. They can never know what you’re really thinking if you want to get in their circles.”

Blaise chose to stare at her then and she wasn’t sure what he was seeing in her but Astoria felt suddenly vulnerable. “Your father seems to want a lot out of you without asking what _you_ would like,” he murmured after a while, this sort of perceptiveness almost eerie. He gave her a kind smile to ease her fears and it was more precious than any material thing that she had ever been offered, “My father told me that the worst thing to ever do was something you were _forced_ to do,” he whispered.

That seemed to sum up her entire life and she felt a sprinkling of shame. “Would you like to see your father again? I mean, after all this time? I’m sure that if you did, he would be very proud of you.” Astoria whispered after a silence had fallen and she had had nothing to say to the bone numbing truth of his words. “I think he’d like to see how handsome and kind you are, that you’re not—”

“Bitter? Angry? I’ve been all of those things, I’m no saint and I don’t think that I’ll see my father again, not after all this time.” Blaise said coldly as an aged hurt sprang into his eyes and Astoria felt terrible for saying anything at all.

“I’m sorry—” Astoria began desperately.

Blaise interrupted her as something seemed to amuse him and she knew that it wouldn’t bode well for her, with the way he teased and nitpicked. “But my, my, Astoria…you think I’m handsome?” he teased and she blushed with pure aggravation and humiliation at the obvious pleasure it brought him.

Astoria replied crisply. “I was just being nice.” And he roared with laughter because she would say nothing else about it. He knew what he looked like and he was, surely, the most handsome person in the world. “You’ll be Potions Master and live in your own flat and eat all you want, and you’ll get really fat and won’t be able to walk without hobbling.”

“My future sounds almost bleak!” Blaise laughed loudly and Astoria felt a bit of sadness for her own future welling up. She couldn’t imagine what she would be doing after Hogwarts and he seemed to read her mind because he said, “but not doing what _you_ want will only leave you being the one unhappy.”

Astoria knew that he was right and wondered how he had learned to be so wise but thought that he had had his own bitter takes on life. There was no father here to take care of him and no mother to offer comfort and her heart ached for him, “My parents claim to want the best for us but the best for us is really what’s best for _them_ and my dad’s business. They don’t care what I want.”

“Your parents sound strangely smothering but you deserve to do as you want, it’s your life, not theirs and you’ll find a place where cacti are respected.” Blaise seemed to both uplift and aggravate her all at once and she shot him a glance that had his lips twitching, “If Mother weren’t constantly getting poisoned by that daughter of hers, I would be on my own now. But I’m trapped until I get my inheritance.”

Astoria narrowed her eyes on him suspiciously as her aggravation started to turn into what was most likely true anger at how casually he had taken this conversation. It hadn’t really sunk in until now, this playful way that he was regarding her, as if he had found out nothing peculiar, “You don’t find all that I’ve said a little weird?”

Blaise merely raised his brows at the sign of her anger and yet he didn’t react to it with the crumbling grasp of sanity that she was looking for, “I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting half of what you told me. But I’ve been able to guess that whatever you’ve been hiding wouldn’t be what _anyone_ would call normal.”

“And you’re perfectly all right with that?” Astoria asked with a disbelieving laugh. She felt exposed, naked and completely frightened of the bond or curse that she had just created, “I’ve told you so much about me! I’ve never talked about Leo or my dorm or—”

Blaise’s eyes were widening as if he found her outburst to be simply thrilling and Astoria had the strongest urge to smack him as hard as she could. Carefully, he reeled himself in, “I’m sorry. It’s frightening isn’t it? Being able to talk to someone so easily,” he soothed and her face flushed because it was true.

Astoria fingered with the comb in her hands and then started to brush a few locks anxiously, her eyes darting to the fireplace for comfort. “I’ve never talked to anyone but my brother and sister about our family and even then, we can never say all that we want to.”

“You should always say what’s on your mind but I’m not at all surprised that you wouldn’t be allowed to do such a thing in your home. Such strange, strange people you all are,” Blaise said loftily and she shot him a venomous look that had his brows rising challengingly, “I’ll take all your complaints if you’ll give them to me.”

Astoria had never heard anything like that in her life and she stared at him in disbelief before taking her comb from her hair and settling her hands on her lap. It was such a dangerous thing what was happening between them, “I have a few complaints about _you_ ,” she spat and he roared with laughter, “there’s something almost like a bully in you.” She said dryly.

Blaise pouted and she saw a flicker of something in his eyes that made her wonder if this were true or not even though she’d been teasing. There was something rather strange about Blaise Zabini as well and it intrigued and worried her greatly, “What sort of gentleman do you take me for?” he asked with a trace of mock anger in his tone.

“Can’t you at least…lose your temper?” Astoria asked him in confusion, though relief was pounding through her so hard and so fast that it was hard to breathe. “But I suppose this is what you mean when you say that trust works both ways,” she said slowly, completely unsettled.

Blaise broke into an understanding smile that warmed her from the roots of her hair down to the tips of her toes. An obnoxious blush was working into her cheeks, “I think I’ve had enough to do with my temper.” There was a slight silence before he said, “such a curious little thing you are, Astoria.” She blushed all the harder, “I’m getting the feeling that the more I find out about you, the more trouble you’ll become.”

“And you still want me around? Blaise, that’s _mental_!” Astoria cried. Earlier he had uncomfortably admitted that he didn’t want her to leave the Estate and she had heard his honesty but now she questioned it, “you could be _hurt_ knowing me! I shouldn’t have told you so much. I shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

Blaise watched her with acute interest but she watched his body relaxing and for the first time, she saw that he had been tense. “Astoria, you’re becoming redundant.” She glared at him and he merely raised his brows challengingly at her, his tone stern, “You’ve already said that you would be putting us all in danger, dooming me to the pit of Hades and so on and so forth and I’ve heard enough to catch the hint.”

Astoria just wasn’t able to understand him and she made a motion to stand but found that her legs were weakened. The exhaustion of revealing more about herself was causing that same weakness to grip her and she still felt exposed…at his mercy and if trust was able to do this to her, then she was certain that she had given him a powerful weapon. “…You don’t know what sort of danger you’ll be in now. If my family finds out what I’ve told you.”

“Let them do their worst. I won’t dare ask you what it is that your family does but I see that you trust me and that’s all that matters. Let this be a learning process for both of us because _I_ can actually say that I’m glad to know you,” Blaise said with sincerity, though he looked as embarrassed and confused by it as she did.

Relief like she had never known washed over her after those unusual words and Astoria had to place her hand over her chest to still it. Something had shifted between them and it was the most dangerous and thrilling thing that she had ever felt and it made her slightly dizzy, “No one has ever told me something like that before.” She whispered and she knew that if he were lying, it would simply crush her later.

“You’ve been hoarded and locked away for so long that I’m not at all surprised.” Blaise said and she frowned at this bitter truth being thrust into her face so casually. “I’ve trusted you with things that I’ve never told anyone and you’ve done the same. I feel almost naked,” he purred and she blushed, feeling uncomfortable that he’d latched onto her own emotions so well.

“There are still a lot of things that I can’t say and there are even things they don’t tell me. Emily and Scorpious are the ones who do what our dad wants for right now, I’ve never wanted that sort of life for myself but my dad’s business doesn’t seem like it will ever end, to be honest,” Astoria said in a soft rush of air, now feeling strangely light.

Blaise frowned distastefully but said nothing and allowed her to have her own thoughts for a while before he spoke again, sounding a little angry. “You deserve far better than that. I’ll give you all the money you need, as well as some much needed tutoring,” she frowned. “And we’ll both be able to do as we please.”

Astoria had no idea what she would do when she got out of Hogwarts and the thought made her very frightened and oddly delighted. But she asked, “You’ll still want to talk to me at school?” Blaise stared at her blankly, as if he found the question lacking in sense, “I’m sure that no one is going to be too pleased with you, after what you did at Malfoy’s party—getting them into trouble for that game.”

Blaise laughed and he looked quite pleased with himself at the memory but she had a feeling that things would not be all too pleasant at Hogwarts. The pureblood Slytherins would dominate the corridors and there would be no one to stop them since Snape was headmaster and he had Death Eaters at his beck and call, “I could care less. Malfoy can’t get what he wants _all_ the time without consequences,” he said bitterly.

Astoria wondered what he meant by that but then wondered if her father was still trying to ruin Lucius Malfoy. But of course he would be; his daughter’s absence would never stop him from doing as he pleased and she felt a burst of fury at his nerve. “Malfoy is the _least_ of my problems,” and yet, even now he was probably plotting his revenge and that made the skin on her body grow cold with unease.

“If he doesn’t know where you are then he can hardly bully you properly.” Blaise said dryly and Astoria knew that he still wanted to know where her dorm was and she felt a bit of wariness shooting through her. “What? Scared that I’ll find out where you slumber and gobble you up?” he teased.

Astoria’s face exploded in a blush at the heat in his words and she watched him roar with laughter and felt disastrously excited. Gripping the comb in her other hand tightly, she stood and started from the room, anxious to be away from her emotions, “Keep guessing. I’ve told you far too much tonight already but I want us to be… _friends_ —there are only so many times that I can punch you, Blaise.”

That caused him to laugh even harder and Astoria sent him a soft smile before making her way out, barely hearing his footsteps as he followed. “You punch pretty hard for a girl, you know.” Blaise commented and he sounded as if he would know quite a bit about girls and Astoria felt herself frown with distaste, “my girlfriend would have _never_ hit me.”

Astoria felt that same painful bite of jealousy at the reminder that he had had someone else. Vaguely, she recalled Malfoy and his friends talking about it and she turned a little to see him standing a mere few inches away, the distance somehow making her want more. “Why don’t you have a girlfriend anymore?” she dared to ask.

Blaise flinched at the question and his dark eyes narrowed on her until she thought that he was sentencing her to the most painful death. “You must have overheard Pansy or Malfoy going on about her?” Astoria nodded and something flashed across his face that she wasn’t able to name but she saw in that one glimpse that he still cared for the girl very much. She was curious and so very jealous that it stole her breath, “I would rather not talk about her, if you don’t mind.”

Astoria nodded in understanding, wanting to say something more but nothing would come out as she imagined the girl that had had him. She was probably some beautiful pureblood girl, ravenous and sultry…wealthy and sophisticated and possessing the sort of charm that _she_ had never had and for a moment she wanted to sink into the nearest pit.

When no such thing appeared, she mentally hung herself and then allowed a stampede of hippogriffs to crush her. “…I’m sorry.” Her heart was pounding rapidly but her jealousy was mounting as she hated the girl that had changed him from the promiscuous fiend he had been with Malfoy and his friends.

“You look as if you’ve pitched yourself into the nearest dark hole,” Blaise said with that same alarming perceptiveness. Astoria glared at him and he raised his brows a little bit, finding this not at all to his liking and she imagined herself being rolled down a hill and into the crashing waves of the coldest, chilliest ocean, “when you get married, I’ll be sure to dig it for you.”

Astoria was jerked out of her misery and found herself spluttering stupidly as he came closer, hesitating at the close proximity it would give them. His scent washed over her …sandalwood and crisp spring leaves and she was momentarily thrust into heaven, “W…who says that I want _you_ at my wedding?”

Blaise laughed with mock hurt. “Why wouldn’t you want me there? I’d bring you the most excellent meals and buy you the largest cactus to remember me by,” this had her laughing and the sound carried for a moment before she fixed the comb in her hair just as his eyes flicked to the strands, “I’ll even add on a big, pink bow and a note warning the unfortunate bloke to be wary of your fists.”

“What about my kisses? Emily told me that _that’s_ how a woman can trap a man,” Astoria giggled and the mention of her sister’s advice created a pang in her chest. She did miss her and their mother would be going into shock if she didn’t come home soon but she couldn’t find it in herself to—

The thought trailed away as she felt Blaise’s fingers along the side of her jaw and she was jerked back to their conversation abruptly. “Now,” he whispered softly, his thumb sliding underneath her bottom lip, “What would I know about your kisses?” she heard him ask and their eyes locked.

If there had ever been a moment when she would have wanted to sink into someone completely, it was now but a slight commotion tore them apart. The fireplace behind them flared green and they turned to see Helena Zabini standing in the hearth, laden with purchases…though her eyes were taking in the sight of them with nothing but pure, scalding disbelief. “ _What have you done_?” she asked Blaise and Astoria didn’t need him to dig a pit, when her grave was already opening.

  
  


  
  


 


	10. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astoria has made a mistake. The longer she stays with Blaise at his home, the more danger she has put them all in. It leaves her making a decision that threatens to take her away from him forever.

There was a dull ringing in her ears. Astoria could barely hear the flood of her own blood over the terror clasping around her and the distant sounds of a woman ranting and raving seemed to fall distant and useless. She had been too careless…at some point, she had started to hope and it had been smacked out of her hands so quickly that she could have laughed.

It was of course, not funny at all but after a night filled with a few of her secrets being revealed, this seemed to be nothing short of ironic. During her stay here, she had never ran into Helena Zabini, who was usually in her bedroom or out spending Galleons that the family no longer had and so some part of her had never thought that this would happen.

But then again, she had never thought that she would be found standing so close to a pureblood with his voice sliding pleasantly over her and his thumb tenderly stroking underneath her lip— _“Now, what would I know about your kisses?”_ why had he said that? _Why_? Her knees were still weak, her cheeks still flushed and some foolish part of her was giddy.

Giddy, as if he would ever consider being with the daughter of murderers, thieves…who had no money and no social status like the mysterious girl that had loved him before—before _what_? Astoria’s eyes widened with terror. No, that wasn’t happening. She would not allow that to happen to her, not to _her_ , who had never, ever desired a pureblood but…his touch still lingered and it almost made her light headed.

Helena Zabini was still ranting and as the dull sound in her ears lessened, Astoria was able to hear some of what she was saying. “Wasn’t it horrible enough to think that you were involved with her at the Malfoy’s party? I almost believed that it was a _lie_!”

Astoria felt a new bolt of panic in her system. The two of them were the stars of a horrible, terrible rumor that Malfoy had conjured out of his envy and hatred for them both and she could only imagine what others were saying about her. They probably thought that they had indeed done something scandalous in that pantry and she was quite sure that Malfoy’s parents hadn’t said anything about what he had been doing to lead them there.

The blame would go all to them. And now that Helena Zabini knew that she was here, probably making the correct assessment that she had been her for days, her reputation was ruined. Some other side of her glorified in this because there was no way that any pureblood would want to marry her now.

She was a half blood, her family wasn’t rich and she was nowhere near as beautiful as Emily or some of the other horrors that paraded around dances and soirees. At the thought that Blaise would never want her, Astoria’s brief moment of glee evaporated like smoke and she was thrust not only into terror by the current events, but a sort of depression that made her almost sick.

“Mother, I insist that you cease this ridiculous attempt to talk sense into me _immediately_.” Blaise’s voice rang out and Astoria barely heard him as her heart hammered painfully in her chest, the horror of the previous minutes twisting and turning around her head. All the energy seemed to have left her and she could barely breathe, “Though, the sound of your voice is torture enough.”

Helena Zabini stared at her son with the sort of contempt that would have reduced a weaker mortal to shreds but Blaise merely eyed her with distaste. Astoria stood in the exact same place, his fingers sliding away from her chin and resting lightly on her shoulder, the heat seeping through her clothes and making her almost dizzy, “Don’t you dare talk back to me like that! How dare you, how _dare_ you, you stupid, _stupid_ boy!” she cried, eyes going eerily wide.

Blaise’s fingers tightened a little on Astoria’s shoulder and she could feel the tension rippling over his body and she recoiled just a fraction. “Mother, I’ll say whatever I like to you. If _you_ like spending what little money we have on useless things you’ll stay out of my business,” his tone was so cold that Astoria could imagine him someday as Potions teacher, frightening students to bits.

Helena gasped a little and the bags in her hands fell from her numb fingers and collapsed onto the carpet. Astoria saw rivers of silk and chiffon glittering against the flames of the fire and felt a bitter twist in her stomach, “After everything that you’ve put me through, _this_ is how you behave? _This_ is how you get back at your mother by bringing that…that _girl_ into this house?”

Astoria felt the verbal slap and her temper, which was starting to boil, nearly overflowed and Blaise shot her a warning look to stay silent. She reeled back defiantly, “I’ll have you know _ma’am_ that this was nothing but a sign of your son’s kind heart, not an attempt to ruin you.”

The woman looked at Astoria with open distaste, as if the air suddenly smelt and Blaise heaved a weary sort of sigh. It was hard to breathe, the air was thick with tension and she knew that if she didn’t take care of things now, she would be found, she would be found and her family…. “As if I would believe a nasty little lie from a _breed_ ,” Helena Zabini snapped, her cheeks flushing with ugly color.

Blaise’s eyes narrowed and Astoria made a slight motion and he pushed her back, even as she regretted it. Violence wouldn’t solve anything in this situation, though she bitterly wished that it could, “Mother, watch your deplorable language. It’s not at all ladylike.”

“And it’s unseemly for you to still be bringing silly little girls into this home. How long until you get bored with her, Blaise? How long until someone else picks up the pieces?” Helena Zabini sneered and Astoria had a feeling that she would know more about that sort of situation than anyone else. But the truth that he had been bringing girls to his home for years for lurid entertainments caused his lips to tighten, “I want her out of this house. _Now_ ,”

“Or you’ll do what?” Blaise asked in a deadly calm voice. Astoria looked up at him in alarm and Helena Zabini flinched a little. “I handle all the accounts, the shopping and somehow, still I’m not good enough for you. Despite your hatred for me, you owe me everything and if I see or hear of you mentioning Ms. Greengrass’s presence in this house to anyone _you will regret it_.”

Helena paled drastically and the threat even caused Astoria to gasp a little and she watched his mother touch her throat. “Your father wouldn’t approve of you treating me this way.”

“How would you know? He’s been gone for years and I can’t imagine why he would leave.” Blaise replied dryly, his eyes flashing like hellfire. “Though I do have my guesses.” His mother looked affronted by this and Astoria saw his fingers clenching into a tight fist, “I’m near to congratulating him on being so wise.”

“Blaise,” Astoria found herself saying worriedly. He ignored her and she daringly reached up to clasp her fingers over his and he stiffened a little, but didn’t pull away, “…this is my fault, don’t take it out on her.” His mother feasted on the words like a vulture, her eyes gleaming.

Blaise turned his attention away from his mother with a contemptuous look before staring down into her face. Astoria was nearly overdone by such intensity but she held fast to her expression, not wanting to turn into a puddle of nothing at his feet again, “This situation is not your fault. I don’t even see how you could think that.”

Astoria swallowed hard, her fingers clenching over his against her better judgment. His fingers were rougher than she’d thought they’d be… “I ran away from home. My family has been looking for me, I know it and the more I stay here, the worse it’s going to be.”

“It’s only another day.” Blaise said with a raise of his eyebrows, as if he could read her thoughts and severely disapproved of them. “There’s no reason for you to go home. I’m not at all sure what your reason for coming here, aside from Malfoy,” at his name, his mother’s ears pricked and Astoria’s lip curled with disgust, “you don’t even have to explain what he’s done or will do but I can’t let you leave after everything…”

He didn’t say anymore but Astoria knew what he meant. They had only just breached the delicate mystery of friendship not too long ago and though he didn’t and probably wouldn’t say it, he didn’t want her to leave. That was the problem of course because she didn’t want to leave either; she wanted to stay as long as she could… “I’ve put you in too much danger as it is, Blaise. This is just proof that I need to do the right thing for you,”

Blaise’s lips tightened with displeasure and he looked as if he might say something more but he glanced at the form of his mother and scowled. “Mother, would you mind giving us some privacy?” he said it in the same tone he would have asked some vermin, _“Would you please die?”_ and Astoria swallowed hard.

There was a tense moment as his mother appeared rather stubborn but Astoria saw her glancing at her son warily, her temperature rising with unease. After a startlingly short moment, she bent to get her bags and cradled them to her chest as if it could protect her, “I do need to take a rest after this stressful night. I hope that you’ll have this issue taken care of after tomorrow Blaise or else, I’ll have to send for Sabina.”

Blaise looked appalled that she would even sink so low as to contact his sister and Astoria saw a triumphantly nasty look cross her face before she walked off. She ascended the stairs with her head in the air and Astoria viciously wished that she had stayed out tonight instead of ruining how happy she had been here. “The wretch will ruin me.” Her host muttered after a short while, after they hear an upstairs door slam. The ceiling seemed to shake with it and Astoria wondered if the plaster would fall off but there was nothing but silence after a while. It seemed to swallow them up and when she opened her mouth to say something, he was regarding her carefully, “You’re not seriously considering going home, are you?” he asked.

“I have to. If your mother sends letters to her friends, it’ll only be a matter of time until my family finds me.” Astoria found it eerie that they hadn’t put all the clues together and found her here at the Estate yet but the thought made her oddly numb…like she were wishing for something bad to happen and she shook it off. “I don’t want them coming here and hurting you or your mother.”

“I don’t care what happens to my mother.” Blaise replied automatically but she sensed that he did, deep down and he shot her a warning look. Astoria immediately lowered her eyes and hoped that she hadn’t appeared pitying, “and I’m not exactly excited about the idea of you going back home.”

With what she had revealed earlier, Astoria couldn’t blame him but she knew that it was the right thing to do. There was no way that she would want his blood on her hands, “Then what do you expect me to do?” she asked him bitterly. “I’ve already run away. The longer I stay gone, the worse my punishment is going to be.”

The words caused Blaise’s shoulders to stiffen noticeably and she ran her thumb comfortingly over his fingers without thinking. “Punishment…your family is worse than I thought, judging from your expression.” He said with only the slightest hint of worry, “I think it would be best if you stayed here and we’ll be careful when we go into Diagon Alley tomorrow,”

“And our school things?” Astoria asked him suspiciously.

“Taken care of,” Blaise replied immediately. “I should be getting them owled here later tonight.” He said without much emotion in his gaze, his thoughts far off.

Astoria stared up at him in alarm and demanded. “How much money did you spend buying all of my things?” of course she wouldn’t have gotten a Hogwarts letter so he must have just doubled all of their supplies with his own and the enormous cost of that made her eyes sting, “Blaise, you could have asked me to give you the money—I brought some from home.”

Blaise narrowed his eyes on her a little and she saw that she had insulted him gravely by asking him to take her money. Astoria opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head at her, “You are a guest in my home. I won’t let you pay for anything and I won’t take your money,” he said warningly even as the thought teased her mind, thinking that she owed him. “I will say this once,”

“And what do you have to say?” Astoria asked, defiance making her shoulders stiff. She didn’t like the authoritative tone in his voice and she narrowed her eyes on him but he simply took her hand from his shoulder and pressed her palm against his cheek, “….what are you doing?” her voice seemed to have deserted her.

Blaise’s skin…she was touching his skin… “Do _not_ leave. I would hate to have to tie you up somewhere until Hogwarts, Astoria.” The words fell around her easily but she barely heard him as he pressed the faintest of kisses along her wrist, therefore reducing her to ash, “my prickly little cactus should stay where she’s wanted.” She felt her mouth opening to form some sort of reply but she felt as if nothing would come out, save for a disastrous whimper that would only amuse him to no end and she swallowed hard.

“I-I don’t know _what_ you think you’re doing,” Astoria managed to say crisply even as she felt the curve of his smile against her throbbing skin. “But sweet talking me _isn’t_ going to work.” Though the words came out strong, she knew that it was a lie and already she couldn’t quite recall why she had wanted to go home in the first place.

Blaise pressed one more lightly heated kiss against her wrist before releasing her, appearing amused as she skittered away. “My apologies, I couldn’t help myself.” There was a twinkle in his eye and she frowned, not appreciating that he had made a fool out of her, “you’re just so fun to tease. I don’t think I’ve met a cactus quite like you.”

“I am not a cactus!” Astoria snapped and he roared with laughter. Annoyed and still flushing, she turned her back on him and headed towards the stairs, hearing his light footsteps behind her as he followed, the night seeming to have taken on a strange tilt. No matter what he said, she couldn’t stay here and she doubted for just a second that he could stop her from doing what she wanted to do but even as she thought it, she recalled that he was the same person who had chased her down a hallway not too long ago…

When she reached her door, frowning and plotting the best way to escape without his notice, Blaise was by her side, watching her warily. He said nothing but millions of questions, words and denials were between them, not to mention her wrist was still warm from his mouth and she refused to think about her reaction to it. “I’m sorry if my mother upset you.” He said eventually.

“Upset me? You forget that I’ve been getting bullied by Malfoy and his lot for years, nothing anyone else can say can beat that,” Astoria replied easily, though some of his mother’s words did indeed still sting. She glanced up at him and saw him running his eyes on her, as if she were holding onto some tool that would aid her in her need to leave for his benefit, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Blaise watched as she opened the door to her borrowed room and stood politely back as she stepped inside, staring at her. Astoria’s hackles started to rise, just as he smiled, amused that he could annoy her so easily, “I’ll have another word to my mother and in the morning you’ll be free. No need to get your prickly self all in a knot,”

“Don’t you mean panties?” Astoria asked dryly.

“You want to talk about panties?” Blaise asked curiously.

Astoria frowned. “No, I meant what you said about—”

Blaise appeared thoughtful. “I wouldn’t mind discussing your panties Astoria but this is rather sudden. How am I supposed to react to this startling development in our friendship?” she gawped at him and he roared with laughter at her exasperated expression.

“You are so annoying! Go to bed!” Astoria snapped and that only caused him to laugh harder until he startled her by leaning forward and wrinkling his face. He hadn’t done this in a while and she was caught off guard, though she immediately giggled, which pleased him and made her feel like some sort of obedient pet, “go to _bed_!” she snapped again, pushing him away.

Blaise backed off but not before he said something that unsettled her, his tone wrapping around her like dark silk. “Notice Astoria that you haven’t flinched away from me. There’s no need to hide, and when you’re ready, I’d like you to remember that.” Before Astoria could say a thing, he gave her a bow and walked off down the hallway, looking so proud and out of her reach that it nearly hurt to watch him.

But she watched and some part of her _dared_ to hope…

…..

Astoria waited for hours until she was certain that Blaise and his mother were asleep before preparing to leave. She had hunkered over a bit of parchment and ink, explaining with deepest regret that she had to go home and she had prayed that Blaise would be content with this small piece of her and with a grim set to her mouth, she’d taken off one of her rings.

Though she hadn’t enjoyed the feeling, she had been homesick and hadn’t taken the rings she’d worn at the Malfoy’s party off since she had come to the Estate but she’d removed one and placed it on the parchment for Blaise.

Hopefully he wouldn’t press the issue… _hopefully_ he wouldn’t try to follow her. It had only taken a few moments for her to pack all of her belongings back into her Hogwarts trunk, her fingers threatening to tremble and her lips shaking with the force of her misery.

No part of her wanted to leave. No part of her wanted to leave the Estate that she had become oddly fond of. But there would be no part of her that would have Blaise endangered or killed…or maimed if her family found out about him and what she had done.

What they would do to her made her skin chill and sweat break out along her brow but it was too late for her to change her mind and so, with a heavy heart, she traced Blaise’s handkerchief with her thumb.

The slow movement soothed her and she placed it gingerly in her dress pocket, heaved her trunk up and ignored the sound of the bag of Galleons bouncing amid her clothes and books. It would insult him deeply if she left money for him to survive on and though she would worry about it later, the last thing she wanted right now was to make Blaise even more upset than he would be in the morning.

He would discover her gone…Astoria closed her eyes tightly against the hideous threat of tears and walked determinedly towards the door, opened it and peered carefully outside. As usual, there was nothing but the sounds of wood, walls and pipes settling down for the night and she saw no sign of Blaise and silently drew the door closed behind her.

It clicked ominously but made no other noise and she swallowed the knot in her throat and hastily walked down the hallway, her free hand balancing on the rail of the staircase to stop herself from falling. By the time she had made it downstairs and headed towards the sitting room, the back of her neck was tingling in that way when she knew Malfoy was near.

Impossible of course but there it was, that slow, prickling at her nape and her head angled behind her and she gasped, her face paling as a few candles were lit. The area around her exploded in soft red and orange light and she blinked away from it as the shadows and darkness fled under furniture and around corners, “What did I say?” Blaise’s voice asked sharply.

He was nothing but a tall, dark shape before her and the glow of the candles seemed to light his dark eyes with unholy depth. The shape of his wand in one hand startled and terrified her and she felt a bolt of panic, “Blaise—you’re not of age to be using magic at home.” Astoria found herself replying and it was only after the silly words were said did he chuckle.

It was not at all a kind sound. “I think the Ministry of Magic has more important things to worry about than whether or not a pureblood uses his wand outside of Hogwarts,” Blaise said and his tone dripped with condescension. The Ministry of course was so corrupt that they did have other worries, like hunting after that poor Potter and his two friends.

Astoria thought that something needed to be said but her throat was oddly tight and she felt a little faint. “I…” she hesitated and cursed. “What are you doing _awake_?” she demanded even as her heart hammered with nerves and a bit of elation. She had packed her wand case into her trunk, mostly so she wouldn’t anger her family when she came home but mostly so she wouldn’t hurt Blaise if he dared to stop her, “this isn’t your decision to make.”

“I had a feeling that you would do this and so, I stayed awake just to see if you would.” Blaise answered calmly but she could hear the anger in his voice. “Don’t you trust me when I say that I’ll keep you safe? That you’re taken care of here?”

Astoria sucked in a breath. Trust was something that she had, until tonight, never been able to afford and she regarded him painfully, “That’s…that’s not the issue, Blaise. I don’t want you hurt because of me!”

“Let them try.” Blaise said icily and Astoria wanted to tell him that they would only find his stubbornness amusing before they chopped off his fingers or dumped his entire body in some forgotten forest. Like so many others… “You should have come to me and explained yourself instead of leaving without any explanation,”

“I left you a letter in my room,” Astoria found herself snapping. Every bit of her wanted to run to him in relief but she fought the action and the tears that were welling, why did he have to make this so difficult?

Blaise snorted derisively. “You could have done much better than that, Astoria. My own father didn’t even leave a letter when he abandoned me and I expect better from you, at least one last argument,” he said softly and she felt guilt wrap itself tightly around her entire frame.

Astoria wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand, hating that she was reduced to this and hating him for making it so hard to leave. “I’m not abandoning you. I’m doing what’s right!” she managed to choke out.

“What’s right or what’s selfish?” Blaise demanded furiously and she flinched. A nasty silence fell around them and she heard the soft creak and groans of the Estate and busied herself with the ugly sensation of tears streaming down her cheeks, “….I know that you think that what you’re doing is helping me, but it’s not.”

Astoria swallowed tightly and somehow managed to see him walking towards her. She immediately backed away, wishing that she could threaten him with her wand, wishing that he didn’t swallow her up completely with just one look, “It is…you have no idea what sort of people my family are. I don’t want you hurt, I don’t want…”

She felt the brush of his thumb along her cheek before he withdrew, muttering an apology and offering her a fresh handkerchief from the depths of his clothing. Shaking her head at him, she took out her own and dabbed at her face, “Apparently, what I want means absolutely nothing.” Blaise said and though he said nothing to the sight of the familiar fabric, she felt her cheeks heating regardless.

“What?” Astoria whispered, staring up at him in confusion.

Blaise looked uncomfortably aware that he had said something without thinking and he glanced away from her. The candles faint light around his eyes reminded her of molten steel and she was instantly transfixed, “I’m not sure that letting you out of my sight is the best of options and I won’t risk you going back to your family and not seeing you again. You have no idea how much I’ll worry.”

A pang settled in her breast and she flushed all the more, cursing him for not being in his room and leaving her to flee in privacy. “…What do you think I can do, Blaise? We only have one day until Hogwarts, one day more that I’m not at home, that I’m not with my family.” One day more of some helpless soul being tortured for information on her whereabouts and she shuddered.

“There’s no reason for you to go directly to your family and if you’re so determined to be out of my home, I suppose going to Diagon Alley and renting a room for a day will have to solve both of our problems.” Blaise said calmly and she was amazed by how quickly his mind had wrapped around this scheme and she could have sworn that she’d heard his brain whirring.

It was ridiculous, dangerous… “I can’t do that! People know me in Diagon Alley—they know my dad. They’re afraid of my family,” Astoria tried to explain. If some wretch recognized her, they would report her immediately to her father, to Scorpious and she couldn’t imagine something so horrible happening.

They would tear the world apart. “You’ll hide your face and I’ll bribe a few people not to mention that we’re staying at the Leaky Cauldron.” Blaise replied easily and it was only then that she saw that he was going to come with her and she twisted his handkerchief tightly in her fists, outraged and frightened. Relieved, “I have a few Galleons left aside for something like this.”

Astoria wondered if he’d had to bribe to get his way before and something uneasy settled over her but she fought it down. Their eyes locked and her heart hoped that this stupid, foolish plan would work, “I’ll…I’ll only agree if you stay with me the entire time.”

Blaise’s lips turned up in a smile and he dipped his head. “Of course, Astoria,” he whispered and she felt, for just a moment, his eyes lingering before they both turned away, the candles flickering along with the fragile chance that she could stay with him for just a while longer.

  
  


 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


 


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